Food Shortages Again

MrsStepford

I have seen reports in newspapers, stating that there are shortages of produce and eggs, in British supermarkets. 

I can see that bird flu is a problem, but all hens need to be housed at night anyway, so that they don't get killed by foxes. If the hens aren't free range at the moment, the price should go down, not up, because consumers aren't getting what they are paying more for. 

Having learned some lessons from lockdown, shoppers are switching to local stores and alternative sources. A piece in the Evening Standard on small shops in Harrow, reported that sales of eggs, peppers and tomatoes had increased hugely. Riverford's website is reporting Sold Out on eggs, all varieties of peppers and tomatoes (except cherry tomatoes),

Newspapers are blaming bad weather in Spain and North Africa, for produce gaps. I looked at two French produce suppliers I use now, as UK prices become so ridiculous, that they can be cheaper. No shortage of any peppers, tomatoes, or eggs. Most of the salad veg grown in Spain, are grown in greenhouses. In Kent, there's a 90 hectare greenhouse complex called Thanet Earth, at Birchington, which should be able to produce thousand upon thousand of tomatoes. Why isn't it ? Or is the veg being exported ? 

I'm not convinced by the tales of bad weather. If that were true, produce in Europe would be affected too. 

We had bird flu before  Brexit and coped. Only thing I can think of that ran out were carrots due to massive crop failure one year (Sainsbury's was selling American ones) but now, there are ever more inventive excuses to justify gaps in shelves most likely caused by Brexit.

Are you going to grow your own this summer ? Are you buying from local shops and farms ? How are you coping with the shortages ? Are you shrugging your shoulders and going without ? Buying frozen ? 

I have stockpiled canned tomatoes by buying a top up case from Costco. I'm looking at two Spanish bell peppers from Spain via a French wholesaler for 4.05 as three Spanish bell peppers from Riverford would be 4.25 if they weren't sold out. We've grown peppers in our garden before, so I think it's time to do that again, if Lidl has any seeds left ! 

I'm cheesed off with shortages that only seem to affect the UK. How about you ? Do you have friends or family in Europe reporting the same shortages. My sister in law in France isn't seeing them and neither are my uncle and aunt. 

p00hsticks

MrsStepford said:

I have seen reports in newspapers, stating that there are shortages of produce and eggs, in British supermarkets. 

I can see that bird flu is a problem, but all hens need to be housed at night anyway, so that they don't get killed by foxes. If the hens aren't free range at the moment, the price should go down, not up, because consumers aren't getting what they are paying more for. 

I think you are rather missing the point. 
It's not simply a case of birds that were kept outside now have to be kept inside.
Millions have either died from bird flu or have been destroyed to prevent it spreading.
According to this article; 140 million worldwide since October 2021, including 48 million across the UK and the rest of Europe. 
Avian flu has led to the killing of 140m farmed birds since last October | Bird flu | The Guardian

And once you get an outbreak, from what I understand you can't simply restock the culled birds - you either have to spend a lot of money clearing up or leave it a year before you start again. 
So the shortage and price increases are down to the fact that there are far fewer birds out there laying eggs.

p00hsticks

MrsStepford said:

In Kent, there's a 90 hectare greenhouse complex called Thanet Earth, at Birchington, which should be able to produce thousand upon thousand of tomatoes. Why isn't it ? Or is the veg being exported ? 

In winter in this country, those greenhouses need heating in order to produce items like tomatoes out of season. From what I've read, increased energy prices mean that they don't want (or can't afford) to pay to heat vast complexes as it's not cost effective

Mnoee

I'll just be buying alternatives - if I can't get a single lettuce, no rocket, no salad at all, I guess I'll just eat my burger with pickles. Its too cold for me to be eating salad as a main meal anyway, I'm still in soup mode if I a fancy light and vegetable packed meal. Vegan recipes are plentiful online for anything that contains eggs if I desperately need a cake - though I'd probably just make flapjacks.

I'm too young to remember when only having seasonal veg was normal, but it's easier than ever to find recipes with or without specific ingredients, or sites showing what I can make only using what's in my cupboard. I'm sure I'll survive. 

tastyhog

Caused by the media and idiots, nobody needs multiple packs of peppers / tomatoes / lettuce etc

It's the whole covid crap all over again with people buying more than they need.

An empty shelf somewhere, someone moans about it on social media, 'journalists' pick it up, people cause a shortage, then the supermarkets claim supplier issues despite there being no issues where these suppliers are and shelves all over the country being full to bursting. 

A._Badger

p00hsticks said:

MrsStepford said:

In Kent, there's a 90 hectare greenhouse complex called Thanet Earth, at Birchington, which should be able to produce thousand upon thousand of tomatoes. Why isn't it ? Or is the veg being exported ? 

In winter in this country, those greenhouses need heating in order to produce items like tomatoes out of season. From what I've read, increased energy prices mean that they don't want (or can't afford) to pay to heat vast complexes as it's not cost effective

This is exactly right. As an example, a business I know has seen its £3,000 per month expenditure on energy triple to £9,000. As a result, the owner is closing it down. Recently, a specialist (commercial) auctioneer told me that his auctions are about to be flooded with catering equipment being auctioned by the liquidators of small food businesses which have  gone under due to the current high energy prices. Fruit and vegetables grown under glass in this country need a lot of artificial heat at this time of the year.

Then again, there are some puzzling aspects to this story. Last week a branch of Aldi I visited to looked like it had been stripped bare yet a Waitrose a few streets away had plentiful supplies and a privately owned supermarket I visited yesterday also had plenty of stock, as did a small town greengrocer I later went to. I have a suspicion that there is more (or perhaps less) to this story than meets the eye.

RobM99

First world problems eh? Guy on the radio said "Heat or eat? Ukranians wish they had a choice".

strawb_shortcake

Our local greengrocer stall had plenty of peppers and tomatoes yesterday unlike Tesco, Iceland or M&S. It came at a cost and the peppers are no longer in a bowl for £1. I paid £4.40!! for 3 large peppers, once these are gone I will be planning to not use peppers until normality resumes.

njm123

The small greengrocers are saying that the stock is available - just that supermarkets aren't prepared to pay the wholesale prices being asked at the moment.   There's probably also an element of some suppliers being unable to produce at the cost specified in their contracts so they don't bother.

Pity the supermarkets have killed all the small greengrocers/butchers/bakeries and fishmongers anywhere near me.

Nelliegrace

We had to put clear tarpaulin over our chicken run under the bird flu regulations. Wild birds can’t get in. The chicken feed has gone up in price by about 30% in the last year. Fully vaccinated replacement hens are costing more.  On a small scale it is not a problem but it is enormous for commercial egg producers.

Hens need about 12 hours of light every day if they are to lay. The free range flocks are not allowed out at present, and electricity prices have gone up, so that has added considerably to costs. 

Supermarkets have not been paying egg producers enough to cover their costs. They have not passed on much of the increase in the price of eggs. The egg producers gave plenty of warning, and now they have not bought replacement hens as the older ones stop laying. It takes five months to raise a chick until it is ready to lay eggs. The UK egg shortage, which has been caused mainly by the supermarkets, will continue. 

Krakkkers

I see no shortage of eggs?