London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Jun 20, 2025

Tesco and Aldi limit sales of tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers

Tesco and Aldi limit sales of tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers

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

It follows similar moves by Aldi, Asda and Morrisons, with other supermarkets also said to be facing problems after extreme weather hit harvests abroad.

Tesco is putting limits of three per customer on sales of tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers.

However, Sainsbury's, Lidl, Waitrose and M&S have not announced any limits.

Pictures of empty shelves at various supermarkets have been circulating on social media in recent days.

The shortages are largely the result of extreme weather in Spain and north Africa, which has affected harvests, according to the UK government.

A significant proportion of the fruit and vegetables consumed by the UK at this time of year come from those regions.

The British Retail Consortium, which represents supermarkets, says the shortages are expected to last "a few weeks" until the UK growing season gets under way and shops find alternative sources of produce.

Tesco, Britain's largest grocer, said it was introducing limits as a precautionary measure to ensure customers could get the produce they needed.

It said the limits applied both to loose fruit and vegetables and to produce sold in packs.

Tesco follows:

*  Aldi, which is putting limits of three per customer on sales of peppers, cucumbers and tomatoes

*  Asda, which has restricted sales of lettuce, salad bags, broccoli, cauliflowers and raspberry punnets to three per customer, along with tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers.

*  And Morrisons, which has put limits of two on sales of cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce and peppers.

Extreme weather


Crop yields in southern Spain have been hit by unusually cold weather, while in Morocco they have been affected by floods. Storms there have also led to ferries being delayed or cancelled transporting goods.

The UK also gets some produce at this time of year from domestic growers and the Netherlands. But farmers in both countries have cut back on their use of greenhouses to grow winter crops due to higher electricity prices.

It follows a period of extreme weather in the UK that has also hit domestic crop yields.

A spell of heatwaves in June 2022 led to the fourth warmest UK summer on record as temperatures broke 40C for the first time. And in December the country was hit by a series of sharp and prolonged frosts.

Tim O'Malley, managing director of Nationwide Produce, one of the UK's largest fresh food producers, said British carrots, parsnips, cabbages and cauliflower had been affected by the poor weather.

He said on Tuesday that there may be price rises as a result of the shortages in the coming weeks.

It comes as food prices are already rising at their fastest rate in 45 years, climbing 16.7% in the year to January.

Olive oil is another product which has been hit by extreme weather, with summer heatwaves in Spain affecting yields. As a result prices in UK supermarkets have surged in recent months.

Rachael Flaszczak, who owns The Snug Coffee House in Atherton, near Manchester, said she's struggled to get eggs "for a while now", but over the past three weeks she has also found it difficult to source tomatoes, spinach and rocket.

"We go to the supermarket to try and get our stock for the next day and we just see empty, overturned crates," she said.

Supermarkets have told her they are only getting a small amount of stock, which is being used up,

"There is nothing left when we try and get our stock at the end of the day for the following day," she said.

"It does affect business because we're having to travel around to get what we need and that's taking more time and we're spending more on fuel," she said.

Ms Flaszczak added: "There's no shortages over there [in the EU] so it has to be something to do with Brexit."


Brexit question


Anecdotal evidence suggests the UK has been bearing the brunt of the shortages.

However, problems have also been reported in Ireland, and Tesco says stock levels there are affected.

Industry sources suggested the UK may be suffering because of lower domestic production and a more complex supply chain.

However, they said Brexit was unlikely to be a factor.

Mr O'Malley put the problems partly down to the way the UK buys its fruit and veg.

"There's absolutely no doubt in my mind that the European continental retailers are probably getting a bigger share than the UK," he said.

Retailers in the UK tend to buy fruit and veg on a longer-term model, paying a price for the year, whereas many European countries use shorter-term models, which buy on a "month to month basis", he said.

The main impact of new border rules for fruit and vegetable imports will not be known until January 2024.

Imports from Morocco, which is outside the EU, are already subject to border checks.

The government said it understood "public concerns" around the supply of fresh vegetables, but added the UK has a "highly resilient food supply chain and is well equipped to deal with disruption".

Asked if Brexit was having an impact on the shortages, a government spokesperson said: "We remain in close contact with suppliers, who are clear that current issues relating to the availability of certain fruits and vegetables were predominately caused by poor weather in Spain and North Africa where they are produced."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
UK Home Secretary Apologizes Over Child Grooming Failures
Trump Organization Launches 5G Mobile Network and Golden Handset
Towcester Hosts 2025 English Greyhound Derby Amid Industry Scrutiny
Gary Oldman and David Beckham Knighted in King's Birthday Honours
Over 30,000 Lightning Strikes Recorded Across UK During Overnight Storms
Princess of Wales Returns to Public Duties at Trooping the Colour
Red Arrows Use Sustainable Fuel in Historic Trooping the Colour Flypast
Former Welsh First Minister Addresses Unionist Concerns Over Irish Language
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
France Bars Israeli Arms Companies from Paris Defense Expo
King Charles Leads Tribute to Air India Crash Victims at Trooping the Colour
Jack Pitchford Embarks on 200-Mile Walk to Support Stem Cell Charity
Surrey Hikers Take on Challenge of Climbing 11 Peaks in a Single Day
UK Deploys RAF Jets to Middle East Amid Israel-Iran Tensions
Two Skydivers Die in 'Tragic Accident' at Devon Airfield
Sainsbury's and Morrisons Accused of Displaying Prohibited Tobacco Ads
UK Launches National Inquiry into Grooming Gangs
Families Seek Closure After Air India Crash
Gold Emerges as Global Safe Haven Amid Uncertainty
Trump Reports $57 Million Earnings from Crypto Venture
Trump's Military Parade Sparks Concerns Over Authoritarianism
Nationwide 'No Kings' Protests Challenge Trump's Leadership
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Trump's Anti-War Stance Tested Amid Israel-Iran Conflict
Germany Holds First Veterans Celebration Since WWII
U.S. Health Secretary Dismisses CDC Vaccine Advisory Committee
Minnesota Lawmaker Melissa Hortman and Husband Killed in Targeted Attack; Senator John Hoffman and Wife Injured
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
×