London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jul 14, 2025

Vegetable shortages could become more common if UK does not act, National Farmers' Union warns

Vegetable shortages could become more common if UK does not act, National Farmers' Union warns

Environment secretary Thérèse Coffey had come under fire for talking about the role of seasonal British produce like turnips as the country faces shortages. Now a senior farming union official says the government must act, even if the UK will always need some imports.
Food shortages could become more common if the government does not secure domestic supplies, the National Farmers' Union (NFU) has warned, while adding the UK will always be reliant on some food imports.

Environment Secretary Thérèse Coffey said on Thursday shortages of some fruit and vegetables in UK supermarkets could last for a month, while insisting the country's food supplies were secure.

But the NFU has called on the government to ensure more food is grown here, while also strengthening supply chains and encouraging seasonal eating.

Ms Coffey came under fire for talking about seasonal British foods as a potential alternative to items running low in the shops because bad weather abroad had disrupted imports.

In the Commons yesterday she was asked if eating more seasonally and locally would help avoid food shortages, which have prompted purchase limits in some supermarkets.

Ms Coffey responded: "A lot of people would be eating turnips right now rather than thinking necessarily about aspects of lettuce, and tomatoes and similar."

But she added she was "conscious that consumers want a year-round choice and that is what our supermarkets, food producers and growers around the world try to satisfy".

Critics leapt on her ambiguous comments, interpreting them as a call to "eat turnips not tomatoes", when she seemed to be making a point about eating seasonally.

"Let them eat turnips," read the headline on the front page of today's Daily Mirror.

Need for 'focus' on domestic food supply

Today the largest farmers' organisation in England and Wales told Sky News Britain can't live without some food from abroad.

"We will always rely on imports to some degree for produce we can't grow here, or to ensure diversity of supply," NFU deputy president Tom Bradshaw said.

But "as global volatility increases, it's imperative the government focuses on building resilient domestic food supply chains," he added.

Ms Coffey had blamed the shortages on "very unusual weather" in places like Morocco and Spain, which supply much of Britain's fresh produce during dark winter months.

But the reduced imports compounded an existing shortage of vegetables like tomatoes and cucumbers.

These items are usually grown in heated, lit glasshouses during winter in the UK, but were planted later this year as farmers struggled to meet energy costs.

Risk of shortages happening more often

Today growers also warned stocks of British leeks would run out in April after crops suffered from a climate change-fuelled drought and record heat.

The NFU has urged the government to extend a support package for energy costs to horticulture and poultry, two energy-intensive industries that were left out of the financial scheme.

Failure to strengthen food supply chains will lead to "more instances like we have now where there's less availability of home-grown produce and at times when imports are disrupted," Mr Bradshaw told Sky News.

He also stressed the importance of "eating seasonally".

He added: "It's when British produce is at its best and often most affordable, and it's a great way to support local farm businesses and sustainable diets."
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
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
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
President Trump Visits Flood-Ravaged Texas, Praises Community Strength and First Responders
From Mystery to Meltdown, Crisis Within the Trump Administration: Epstein Files Ignite A Deepening Rift at the Highest Levels of Government Reveals Chaos, Leaks, and Growing MAGA Backlash
Trump Slams Putin Over War Death Toll, Teases Major Russia Announcement
Reparations argument crushed
Rainmaker CEO Says Cloud Seeding Paused Before Deadly Texas Floods
A 92-year-old woman, who felt she doesn't belong in a nursing home, escaped the death-camp by climbing a gate nearly 8 ft tall
French Journalist Acquitted in Controversial Case Involving Brigitte Macron
Elon Musk’s xAI Targets $200 Billion Valuation in New Fundraising Round
Kraft Heinz Considers Splitting Off Grocery Division Amid Strategic Review
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
EU Proposes New Tax on Large Companies to Boost Budget
Trump Imposes 35% Tariffs on Canadian Imports Amid Trade Tensions
Junior Doctors in the UK Prepare for Five-Day Strike Over Pay Disputes
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Biden’s Doctor Pleads the Fifth to Avoid Self-Incrimination on President’s Medical Fitness
Grok Chatbot Faces International Backlash for Antisemitic Content
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
×