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Rabat – The United Kingdom is currently suffering from alarming shortages in some fruits and vegetables, notably tomatoes, with several supermarkets limiting the number of products customers can buy.
The British government attributed the shortages of these products on the shelves of UK supermarkets to the bad weather conditions in South Europe and North Africa, namely Morocco and Spain, some of the UK’s main fruit and vegetable exporters, BBC reported today.
Around 25% of the UK’s tomatoes come from Morocco, whereas 20% come from Spain, according to Euronews.
Tomatoes, whose prices have sky-rocketed in Morocco in recent weeks, are the worst affected by the shortage in the UK. Capped products also include peppers, lettuce, broccoli, cauliflowers, cucumbers, and raspberries, among other fruits and vegetables.
The Moroccan Association of Fruit and Vegetables (APEFEL) has addressed the UK’s tomato shortage, attributing it to Morocco’s “unusual climatic conditions,” Fresh Produce Journal reported.
“As a natural consequence, the daily harvest has dropped sharply, resulting in shortening the supply capacity of packing stations and provisions of the local Moroccan market, as well as markets abroad,” APEFEL indicated in a statement.
Meanwhile, some have suggested that the vegetable crisis is somewhat related to Brexit.
In a bid to stabilize tomato prices, which have reached up to MAD 16 in some regions, Morocco decided to restrict its supplies to the British market. The North African country has also imposed a ban on the exports of some vegetables to West Africa to control prices.
Several Moroccans have expressed concerns over the soaring commodity prices, which are heavily weighing down on families’ purchasing power. The rising tomato prices come as Ramadan, during which demands for the vegetable tend to peak, approaches.
