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AIBU?

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Original poster

Food shortages not everywhere?

183 replies

teleskopregel · 07/03/2023 06:58

We live in a European country and have been seeing so many pictures in our news of bare shelves in British supermarkets. Things like eggs are being rationed and fruit and veg are difficult to buy. It is being attributed to the war in the Ukraine. Is this really true?

Where we are, we have no shortages. The only discernible difference in the last few months has been a slight increase in price. Would I be wrong in assuming the shortages have more to do with brexit than with the war, and this is just spin? Or is there really a shortage of food throughout Europe?

Of course, this is only

OP posts:
Hollyhead · 07/03/2023 07:00

I’ve barely noticed a shortage, the only thing I couldn’t get hold of was cucumber, but that’s an easy live without!

TodayInahurry · 07/03/2023 07:03

Not around here, it seems it is just a newspaper, usually The Guardian, story. Can get what we want

whatkatydid2013 · 07/03/2023 07:07

There have been a lot of gaps in fresh produce and eggs at some of the big supermarkets on specific days. On the other hand I’ve seen no shortages at all at the smaller shops in town and even with the supermarkets it’s usually 1 specific one not all of them. It’s definitely unusual though and probably is linked to a number of factors (for example the eggs are likely due to bird flu outbreak as much as anything). I’m sure Brexit is making it harder to change supply chain when there are shortages

RudsyFarmer · 07/03/2023 07:08

I couldn’t get eggs yesterday so yes there are shortages here.

Nimbostratus100 · 07/03/2023 07:09

Its intermittent and unpredictable

And yes, we all know its Brexit

321gogogo · 07/03/2023 07:10

TodayInahurry · 07/03/2023 07:03

Not around here, it seems it is just a newspaper, usually The Guardian, story. Can get what we want

Not a story... very hard to get eggs here in supermarkets and tomato's. DH couldn't get a pepper the other day.

Nimbostratus100 · 07/03/2023 07:11

I haven't been able to get any cheese except cheddar for a while - which is pretty typical - you can get cheese, or veg, or meat, but you can't necessarily choose what cheese, or veg, or meat - you just have to take what is on offer.

Redglitter · 07/03/2023 07:11

I've had no problems & had eggs delivered in my Tesco order yesterday so it seems hit & miss depending where you are

Purplehyena · 07/03/2023 07:11

There have been stock issues, but often patchy and ‘rolling’ as opposed to widespread empty shelves. All sort of issues like weather (!), the war etc, but Brexit is seriously impacting on how well, or not, we’re able to cope with that. (Egg issues are more down to bird flu though)

flutterbyebaby · 07/03/2023 07:11

Not being able to get the odd box of eggs doesn't equal a food shortage ffs

Original poster
teleskopregel · 07/03/2023 07:12

We did have no sunflower oil and mayo at the beginning of 2022, which was directly attributed to the war, but now is back to normal at a slightly elevated price.

So I guess this is a example of the news exaggerating, then?

OP posts:
forwhatitsworth22 · 07/03/2023 07:12

Not down to Brexit, Fruit shortages due to the weather where we import from, egg shortages due to disease,

WindowGazers · 07/03/2023 07:13

I've not noticed any shortages where I live, at all really. Maybe I'm just not very observant.

JumbleSailor · 07/03/2023 07:20

We have all whole sections with no tomatoes, peppers and other fresh veg, Tesco's and Waitrose. I read an article saying it was to do with 'poor weather' in Spain and Morocco, but all of these items are grown in huge polytunnels stretching over hundreds of miles, so I'm confused about the poor weather explanation.

JamSandle · 07/03/2023 07:21

I havent really noticed it where I am.

NomadicSpirit · 07/03/2023 07:23

I've also not noticed food shortages. Sometimes a shop in in has sold out of a product and either hasn't restocked the shelves or is waiting for a delivery. I've been able to buy tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and eggs every time I've gone shopping.

There does seem to be some issues with production of some of these items due to weather and disease, but not due as far as I know to Brexit. We're certainly not starving.

Original poster
teleskopregel · 07/03/2023 07:24

Does the news there report the shortages as directly attributed to the war at all?

OP posts:
QuietlyConfident · 07/03/2023 07:30

Salad and eggs are the problem - it's intermittent. If I go out for salad items then I know I may have to go to three different shops along the same street, but I'll get some eventually.

The government food tsar puts it down to UK supermarkets' fixed price contracts, which means that when there's a bit of a shortage due to weather events or bird flu we're the first to get ditched.
amp.theguardian.com/environment/2023/mar/04/food-tsar-blames-shortages-on-uks-weird-supermarket-culture

WindowGazers · 07/03/2023 07:35

Equally I buy all my fruit from a local Asian shop that has a fresh fruit section outside. They've consistently had tomatoes, carrots, onions, bananas, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, and the rest for the past year. I wonder if a lot of them are sourced locally.

BigGreen · 07/03/2023 07:38

Haven't had tomatoes or peppers for weeks now in London.

IkBenDeMol · 07/03/2023 07:43

No, there are not widespread food shortages in the UK. Short term issue with peppers and tomatoes due to bad weather in the Mediterranean. Ongoing problem with eggs because of bird flu.

Everything else is fine and in plentiful supply. The conflict in Ukraine is causing price rises - a bag of pasta has doubled in price in a year. But there's still plenty of it to buy.

coffeecupsandwaxmelts · 07/03/2023 07:43

forwhatitsworth22 · 07/03/2023 07:12

Not down to Brexit, Fruit shortages due to the weather where we import from, egg shortages due to disease,

If it's weather related, why are there thousands of photos online of European supermarkets absolutely heaving with fresh product?

It's Brexit.

NeverTrustAPoliceman · 07/03/2023 07:47

The occasional gap in the salad shelves but not a problem, another supermarket will have whatever is missing the first.

I'm vegan so no idea about the egg situation although I did stock up on a vegan replacement for baking as a precaution a while ago.

FatAgainItsLettuceTime · 07/03/2023 07:47

There's definitely been less choice but not really full on shortages. I can still buy a full shop but have to be a bit less specific in what I want sometimes. Things like eggs I'll find the shop has eggs but only dozen packs in medium not a half dozen large eggs, or only cherry o atoms no full sized ones.

I was watching an interview with a Spanish tomato producer who was saying that with fresh fruit and veg the issue is 3 fold. 1) they produced less due to rising energy costs, 2) output was lower than expected due to weather, 3) they choose to sell to other European countries first because they don't have the added shipping costs of the channel and the bureaucracy of all the post Brexit forms and procedures which cost more due to time to complete.

Raspberrywi · 07/03/2023 07:49

It's been fine where I am. Had to buy tomatoes from the greengrocers I suspect if the supermarkets started paying a fair price for produce they could have ridden the storm a bit better.