London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jul 26, 2025

Brexit and bad planning also to blame for UK fruit and veg shortages, Spain says

Brexit and bad planning also to blame for UK fruit and veg shortages, Spain says

Iceland's boss says a dearth of fruit and vegetables in stores is due to climate change, but a European country's minister suggests other factors are also at play - saying: "Brexit was not a great deal."
Brexit and bad planning - along with weather - are to blame for the fruit and vegetable shortage affecting the UK's supermarkets, Spain's agriculture minister has said.

Major chains Tesco, Aldi, Lidl, Morrisons and Asda have imposed limits on the number of certain items customers can buy.

Fruits and vegetables increasingly sourced from Morocco and Spain - such as tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers - have been affected by supply issues.

Retailers and the government have blamed the problem on weather, which hampered crop growth. Drought conditions were experienced in Spain and Morocco over the summer and followed by cold and wet conditions in winter.

Iceland boss, Richard Walker, told Sky News there was "only so much we can do" about the shortages.

"This is climate change", the executive chairman of Iceland Foods told the Kay Burley Breakfast show on Wednesday.

While the frozen food-focused supermarket has not imposed limits on sales of fruits and vegetables, it said there were lots of empty shelves in stores and that it was in the "same boat as everyone else".

Sales of frozen fruits and vegetables have increased by 25%, he said, adding that supplies would return to normal in two to three weeks.

But Spain's agriculture minister, Luis Planas, said the issues were not solely due to weather.

"There is a problem of programming the purchases, which is quite important, and then there has been a lower production as a result of the low temperatures," he said.

While shops in European Union countries were probably given priority, Mr Planas said, UK shortages were "an
absolutely transitory situation".

"Brexit was not a great deal, but that is for them to judge," he added.

Other factors affecting shortages include reduced crop planting at UK greenhouses.

Many UK farmers reduced greenhouse output due to high energy costs.

Salad items are grown in the UK through winter via lit and heated greenhouses and with fertiliser derived from gas - means of production that have risen sharply in cost due to the energy price rises exacerbated by the war in Ukraine.

The horticulture industry has not been given the same government supports as other big energy consumers. Some UK farmers were put off planting or planted later in the year, as a result.

Logistical difficulties made matters worse. Poor weather hit sea crossings from Morocco to Spain. Fruit and vegetables from Morocco make two sea crossings: across the straits of Gibraltar and the channel, in a journey that takes four to six days.

Another obstacle in the fruit and vegetable journey came from strikes by Border Force workers and Calais port workers last week.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
×