MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
British supermarkets rationing vegetables; adverse weather conditions in Europe
British supermarkets have begun rationing vegetables, as adverse weather conditions in Europe have led to a shortage of products in UK stores. On Friday Tesco said customers will be limited to buying a maximum of three iceberg lettuces per visit, adding bad weather in Spain had triggered “availability issues”, although it added suppliers were looking to resolve the issue. Read full article
Comments
Disclaimer & comment rulesIf you buy seasonal fruit and vegetables there is plenty to go around. In fact, there were no missing items at the local farm shop.
Feb 04th, 2017 - 11:30 am - Link - Report abuse +2So we should be buying turnips instead? ;)
Feb 04th, 2017 - 11:47 am - Link - Report abuse 0Bit late try sprouts...
Feb 04th, 2017 - 12:02 pm - Link - Report abuse -3Was glad to see USA lettuces were available to replace Spanish produce. Not that I buy it . Luckily produce from other countries can be bought. Another reason Spain needs to wind its neck in about Gibraltar, this highlights how much produce we buy off Spain. At the moment. And Spain exploits refugees from Africa in the most appalling way to produce these vegetables and salads cheaply.
Feb 04th, 2017 - 12:36 pm - Link - Report abuse +3I normally buy a head of lettuce...but I saw the sign and thought I'd better buy three, because there's a shortage...
Feb 04th, 2017 - 01:08 pm - Link - Report abuse -3“If you buy seasonal fruit and vegetables there is plenty to go around.”
Which Country are you living in...?
Short UK list of seasonal fruits and vegetables in February...:
Feb 04th, 2017 - 01:41 pm - Link - Report abuse -4Apples
Pears
Beetroot
Brussels Sprouts
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Celeriac
Chicory
Fennel
Jerusalem -Artichoke
Kale
Leeks
Parsnips
Potatoes
Red Cabbage
Swedes
Turnips...
;-)
Who would want three iceberg lettuces - they taste like wallpaper and are full of water!! When one of our dogs was sick a few years ago the vet told us to give him iceberg lettuces to chew on rather than bones - the dog liked them so much he hasn't touched a bone since.
Feb 04th, 2017 - 01:53 pm - Link - Report abuse +2Mr. Think
Feb 04th, 2017 - 02:31 pm - Link - Report abuse -3Are they actually available to harvest in winter UK...?
I know that there is plenty growing over winter from Autumn sowing...
@Voice
Feb 04th, 2017 - 03:23 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I have grown a few of those veggies to harvest in winter, and others are usually harvested in autumn but they store well. I've also left potatoes in the ground over winter and they were still edible in February (but don't leave them longer, they start to grow).
I think that list explains something about British cuisine though.
@darragh
I was wondering that. They are probably hoping people will panic at the shortage and buy extra.
The only time I eat them is in tacos where they add a fresh crispy texture.
This could be a compelling arguments for the UK to broaden its trade alliances to outside of the EU.
Feb 04th, 2017 - 04:16 pm - Link - Report abuse +3Then such shortages would be less in the future if the UK had the freedom to import fresh fruit and vegetables from numerous different countries.
At the moment, because of EU rules, EU countries have a monopoly on supplying many fruits and vegetables. In the future these countries will have to compete will producers from Africa, Asia and North & South America for the UK market.
It will be interesting to see how it all pans out.
@ LEPRecon
Feb 04th, 2017 - 05:18 pm - Link - Report abuse +3But we already do. The supermarkets are full of produce from Chile, Peru, Guatemala, South Africa …to name but a few.
Iceberg lettuce is great for making California wraps in the summer but hardly essential in winter. If you know how to cook tasty, healthy meals from scratch there is plenty of fresh produce in the stores.
This is the masses being manipulated by the press. Panic! A shortage of lettuce in February! Idiots buy more than they need!
Still pulling leeks, parsnips, red chard. Potatoes still ok, rhubarb, runner and broad beans from the freezer. Plenty of stuff in our shops. Rationing is to deter restaurants buying up stocks of supermarket stuff.
Feb 04th, 2017 - 06:30 pm - Link - Report abuse +3Turnips a plenty in Argentina.
ElaineB
Feb 04th, 2017 - 09:18 pm - Link - Report abuse +2Yes there is produce from countries outside of the EU, but the EU ensures that produce grown in the EU is given preference in any trade deals.
Yes you can buy some produce from South America (etc...) but you won't see lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber and certain other items which are grown in the EU, because the 'mighty' EU won't allow free and fair market competition. They mainly only allow produce that the EU does not itself produce.
Being out of Europe will allow competition, and if the EU countries want to keep trading with the UK (which is a huge market to most of them), then they will have to become more competitive.
So in future you may have the choice of tomatoes etc... from numerous different countries all competing with each other.
Whether this will work or not, I don't know, but it'll be interesting to see how the EU copes against true competition from elsewhere in the world.
Perhaps the UK will finally get the 'cheap' food that was the main argument in the UK joining the common market. However, I never did see any referendums on the UK joining a United Europe on giving away our sovereignty, and allowing ourselves to be dictated to by unelected officials who are accountable to no-one.
The sooner we're out of Europe the better, IMO.
Why are we buying from the Spanish, don't we grow this stuff anymore.
Feb 05th, 2017 - 12:50 am - Link - Report abuse 0It is part of the EU regulations,besides they do have better weather than the UK
Feb 05th, 2017 - 11:19 am - Link - Report abuse +1@Briton
Feb 05th, 2017 - 11:31 am - Link - Report abuse +2We don't grow iceberg lettuce in February!
We do grow vegetables here in summer, the ones that are suitable for the climate.
That “adverse weather conditions” is taking its toll here in Argentine agro as well. Even if you don't read the jibberjabber, the photos are in English:
Feb 05th, 2017 - 12:11 pm - Link - Report abuse +1http://www.clarin.com/rural/tregua-agua-productores-recalculan_0_ByWCa1xwg.html
@ DT
Feb 05th, 2017 - 02:21 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Briton wouldn't know that because he is not British.
Briton is as British as Aidensfield's David Stockwell...
Feb 05th, 2017 - 04:54 pm - Link - Report abuse -3I reckon Briton is actually one one the few posters on here that is British and lives in Britain...
Feb 05th, 2017 - 08:15 pm - Link - Report abuse -2There are very few posters that I believe, he is not one of them...
He's as British as Jellied Eels....yuk...
..or Fish and Chips with Salt and Vinegar out of a newspaper....Yum...
ElaineB has obviously flipped...
Voice
Feb 09th, 2017 - 08:16 pm - Link - Report abuse 0ElaineB has obviously flipped...
standards are dropping fact,
Voice
Thank you,
most outside of Smokey wouldn't know what peace pudding ? faggots was, and pie ? mash
but this site is full of trolls,
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