Another vegetable rationed by supermarkets as stores run out

Unseasonably cold weather in Spain slows down the growing of peppers

(AFP via Getty Images)

Another vegetable has been rationed by supermarkets after a cold snap in Europe led to a shortage.

Some UK supermarkets have run out of peppers entirely, and most major supermarkets have imposed limits on how many customers are allowed to buy.

Unseasonably cold weather in Spain slowed down the growing of peppers, leading to Morrisons limiting purchases to two per customer.

The supermarket said it was hoping to lift the cap in the next week or so because supplies were improving.

Waitrose has also been hit by supply problems. It said it was working hard with suppliers to get a full range back on shelves and expected stock levels to stabilise in the coming weeks as the UK moved into its growing season.

British supermarkets source peppers exclusively from Spain during the winter months.Supermarkets were forced to ration a range of fruit and vegetables earlier this year due to poor weather in Europe and Africa leading to shortages.

Shoppers started seeing shortages of tomatoes on about 20 February, with retailers saying a combination of bad weather and related transport issues in north Africa and Europe were causing significant supply problems.

The shortages spread to other products, leaving shelves bare of fresh produce items including cucumbers, peppers and lettuce.

Tesco, Aldi and Lidl limited purchases of peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers to three items per person, while Morrisons set a limit of two per customer on tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce and peppers.

Production problems in Morocco began in January with unusually cold night temperatures affecting tomato ripening.

Supplies from Britain’s other major winter source, Spain, were also badly affected by weather.At the time, the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) said shortages of some fruit and vegetables in UK supermarkets could be “the tip of the iceberg”.

Deputy president Tom Bradshaw said a reliance on imports had left the UK vulnerable to “shock weather events”.

The government previously rejected the suggestion that Brexit was to blame for shortages.

But shoppers aren’t happy, and environment secretary Therese Coffey’s suggestion earlier this year that consumers should “cherish” British produce and eat more turnips instead of imported food drew widespread mockery.