According to farmers, apples and pears could also become scarce in Great Britain after vegetables. The shortage of some fruits and vegetables is just the “tip of the iceberg,” said NFU Deputy President Tom Bradshaw. “Retailers are doing everything they can to keep costs down during this cost-of-living crisis.” But farmers and breeders could not afford to invest in future food production.
The Guardian had reported that fruit growers had planted only a third of the apple and pear trees needed to sustain Britain’s 5,500 hectares of production area. According to the apple and pear trade association, the main reason is “supermarket returns that are not sustainable”.
On Friday, British vegetable and fruit producers had already warned of a long crisis in view of delivery problems for some foods. The reasons for the shortage are unfavorable weather in the growing areas as well as increased transport costs and energy prices. Several retailers such as market leader Tesco and the discounter Aldi have rationed the sale of some products such as tomatoes and cucumbers because of the delivery problems.
