Fruit and vegetable shortage

[Bertie the bus]

I was awake early this morning and listened to Farming Today on Radio 4, which was a Salad Shortages Special. The panel included a grower, a wholesaler, a journalist and an academic, but nobody from the government or the retailers. Both of these instead provided statements asserting the resilience of the UK supply chain which were totally detached from the reality of the empty shelves in the supermarkets.

Empty shelves doesn’t necessarily equate to retailers detached from reality. It frequently equates to idiots who spend too much time on Twitter being detached from reality and buying stuff they don’t need or necessarily want just because they’ve seen photos of empty shelves. Supermarkets could stock several times the amount of fruit and vegetables they usually display but if you get gibbering wrecks panicking they would still sell out by lunchtime.

 

[duncanp]

With three exceptions (bananas, mushrooms and lettuce) I always buy fresh produce from greengrocers and market traders not supermarkets. I haven't seen any empty shelves there.

Are the prices at the greengrocers and market traders substantially higher than the supermarkets?

 

[AM9]

There's a very large M&S food hall near us.
I popped in there early this morning.
The fruit and vegetable areas were fully stocked as always.
No problem getting salad items or tomatoes.
I also called in at our local greengrocers yesterday, to buy a dozen eggs and some other items. All readily available.

Was in our local Waitrose this morning after 11:00 which is prime shopping time on the busiest day of the week. There was plenty of 'salad' vegetables there including lettuces of several types, cucumbers, some pepper and some tomatoes. Just as per the old (professional) buyer's adage, you cannot get good quality, on-time delivery and low prices at the same time - two of theose attributes are usually achievable but not all three. The end result, those vendors racing for the lowest prices, run out and then suppliers can't (or more likely won't) resupply, meaning that anything that is on the shelves is poor quality, and unsurprisingly often priced higher than the better quality goods that are in stock in the mid and upper market shops.

 

[Bald Rick]

Was in our local Waitrose this morning after 11:00 which is prime shopping time on the busiest day of the week. There was plenty of 'salad' vegetables there including lettuces of several types, cucumbers, some pepper and some tomatoes. Just as per the old (professional) buyer's adage, you cannot get good quality, on-time delivery and low prices at the same time - two of theose attributes are usually achievable but not all three. The end result, those vendors racing for the lowest prices, run out and then suppliers can't (or more likely won't) resupply, meaning that anything that is on the shelves is poor quality, and unsurprisingly often priced higher than the better quality goods that are in stock in the mid and upper market shops.

Same in Sainsburys round the corner…

 

[306024]

Are the prices at the greengrocers and market traders substantially higher than the supermarkets?

Substantially lower in our local market this morning. Talking to the stall owner no shortages at all, he can get everything easily but his wholesale prices are increasing.

Some fresh produce round here comes from Holland, and he did say all the BREXIT paperwork is affecting supply times, but it was noticeable last week at the big growing sheds near the Hook of Holland they had all their heated lights working, despite rises in energy costs. Wonder how much the Dutch Government are helping with the cost.

 

[Magdalia]

Are the prices at the greengrocers and market traders substantially higher than the supermarkets?

Usually lower.

Bananas are a key exception as supermarkets compete with each other very strongly on the price of bananas, and bananas have their own packaging.