London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Aug 05, 2025

Lidl limits sales of tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers

Lidl limits sales of tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers

Lidl is the latest supermarket to introduce limits on sales of certain fruit and vegetables due to shortages of fresh produce.

The company is putting limits of three per customer on sales of peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers, due to "a recent increase in demand".

It follows similar moves by Tesco, Aldi, Asda and Morrisons, with some consumers facing empty shelves.

Supermarkets are facing problems after extreme weather hit harvests abroad.

A Lidl spokesperson told the BBC that "adverse weather conditions in Spain and Morocco" had impacted the availability of certain salad items.

"Whilst we still have good availability across the majority of our stores, due to a recent increase in demand we have taken the decision to temporarily limit the purchase of peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers to three items per person," said Lidl. "This will help to ensure that all of our customers have access to the products they need."

Sainsbury's, Co-op, M&S and Waitrose have not announced any limits.

Food and farming minister Mark Spencer held a video meeting with the bosses of UK supermarkets on Monday, aimed at finding out what supermarkets were doing to "get shelves stocked again" and how the UK can avoid a repeat of the current situation.

Mr Spencer said he had asked retailers to "look again" at how they work with farmers to "further build preparedness for these unexpected incidents".

He had earlier blamed "recent poor weather in North Africa" for the problems.

While the majority of food sold in supermarkets comes from the UK, imported food plays a "key role" in maintaining the supply of affordable food for UK households, said Andrew Opie, director of food and sustainability at the British Retail Consortium.

He said that customers should start to see "an improvement" in the coming weeks.

Mr Spencer said that overall the UK food supply chain was resilient.

But most other European countries appear to be less affected.

Pictures on social media have shown supermarket shelves across continental Europe still full with fresh produce.

It has led to speculation that Brexit could be the reason why the UK is bearing the brunt of the shortages.

Wholesalers, importers and retailers that the BBC has spoken to suggested the picture is nuanced, with the UK facing specific issues. For instance, it has lower domestic production and more complex supply chains.

But others have pointed out that even if Brexit is not the main reason for the problems, it won't have helped.

Ksenija Simovic, a senior policy adviser at Copa-Cogeca, a group which represents farmers and farming co-operatives in the EU, said that when shortages occur, then it makes sense that whatever produce is available is more likely to stay within the Single Market.

There have been reports of some Dutch supermarkets limiting sales of certain vegetables and big price increases for some items.

A spokesman from the CBL trade association in the Netherlands, told the BBC that the cold weather in northern Spain and other parts of southern Europe had resulted in price rises for some fruit and vegetables, although they were unable to confirm whether there were any limits being imposed on sales.

But he said that there was no panic.


How long will the shortages last?


On Sunday, former environment secretary George Eustice said the shortages would last for "three to four weeks".

But producers have warned they could go on for longer.

The Lea Valley Growers Association (LVGA), which has members across Greater London, Hertfordshire and Essex, said growers had delayed planting crops this season because of soaring energy prices, as well as low prices that supermarkets had offered for their produce.

Lee Stiles, secretary of the LVGA, said: "The majority of tomatoes, peppers and aubergines are not going to be around in big volumes until May, so it's going to be longer than a few weeks."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Texas House Paralyzed After Democrats Walk Out Over Redistricting
Mexican Cartels Complicate Sheinbaum’s U.S. Security Talks
Mark Zuckerberg Declares War on the iPhone
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
Tesla Seeks Shareholder Approval for $29 Billion Compensation Package for Elon Musk
Nvidia is cutting prices on its RTX 50-series graphics cards after sales slowed and inventories piled up
Ghislaine Maxwell Transferred to Minimum-Security Prison Amid Ongoing DOJ Discussions
U.S. Tariffs Surge to Highest Levels in Nearly a Century Under Second Trump Term
Matt Taibbi Slams Media for Role in Russiagate Narrative
Pilots Call for Mental Health Support Without Stigma
All Five Trapped Miners Found Dead After El Teniente Mine Collapse
Ong Beng Seng Pleads Guilty in Corruption Case Linked to Former Singapore Transport Minister
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
Italy Fines Shein One Million Euros for Misleading Sustainability Claims
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
Declassified Annex Links Soros‑Affiliated Officials and Clinton Campaign to ‘Russiagate’ Narrative
UK's Online Safety Law: A Front for Censorship
Nationwide Protests Erupt in Brazil Demanding Presidential Resignation
Parents Abandon Child at Barcelona Airport Over Passport Issue
Mystery Surrounds Death of Brazilian Woman with iPhones Glued to Her Body
Bus Driver Discovers Toddler Hidden in Suitcase in New Zealand
Switzerland Celebrates 734 Years of Independence Amid Global Changes
U.S. Opens Official Investigation into Former Trump Prosecutor Jack Smith
Leaked audio of Canada's new PM Mark Carney admitting the truth about the Net Zero agenda: "We're gonna make a lot of money off of this."
China Enforces Comprehensive Ban on Cryptocurrency Activities
Absolutely 100% Realistic EVO Series Doll by EXDOLL (Chinese Company) used mainly for carnal purposes
World Economic Forum founder Klaus Schwab: "In this new world, we must accept... total transparency. You have to get used to it. You have to behave accordingly. But if you have nothing to hide, you shouldn't be afraid."
Meet Mufti Hamid Patel, head of Office for Standards in Education in Pakistan
George Soros tells the World Economic Forum: "President Trump is a con man and the ultimate narcissist, who wants the world to revolve around him."
Hamas are STARVING the hostages.
Decline in Tourism in Majorca Amidst Ongoing Anti-Tourism Protests
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
Poland Begins Excavation at Dziemiany After New Clue to World War II‑Era Nazi Treasure
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Threatens Canada with Tariffs Over Palestinian State Recognition
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Trump Sues Murdoch in “Heavyweight Bout”: Lawsuit Over Alleged Epstein Letter Sets Stage for Courtroom Showdown
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
Trump Administration Finalizes Broad Tariff Increases on Global Trade Partners
J.K. Rowling Limits Public Engagements Citing Safety Fears
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
×