ANOTHER major supermarket has announced that it will also be rationing fruit and vegetables.
Aldi is the latest chain to ration fresh produce, putting a limit on how many items a customer can buy.
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The discount store will be limiting peppers, cucumbers and tomatoes to three units per person.
It comes as Asda and Morrisons both announced the rationing of certain products yesterday.
In recent days, social media has been flooded with pictures of empty fruit and veg supermarket shelves.
Shortages have been caused by the unusually cold weather in Spain and Morocco.
Floods, snow and hail have hit harvests which usually supply the bulk of our winter salad crop.
During the winter months, Britain imports about 95 per cent of its tomatoes and 90 per cent of lettuces, most from the affected region.
Meanwhile, UK farmers have cut back owing to soaring prices of gas and fertiliser required to grow crops and heat their greenhouses.
The crisis came as the National Farmers’ Union warned production of salad ingredients in Britain would fall to the lowest levels since records began in 1985 owing to rising costs.
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This isn’t the first time shoppers have faced shortages at the supermarket because of unusual weather.
Poor growing conditions in Europe – mostly Italy and Spain – meant there was a lack of vegetable stock in 2017.
Experts estimated the shortage would cost UK supermarkets at least £8million.
There was also concern in 2018 that an onion shortage was on the horizon because of hot weather causing damage to crops.
In the same year, hot weather also stunted the growth of peas.
The British Retail Consortium said shortages are expected to last a few weeks until the UK growing season begins and retailers found alternative suppliers.
Aldi
Aldi has revealed that it will be putting a limit of three items per customer.
These items include: tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers.
Asda
Asda has introduced a limit of three each per customer of the following items:
- Tomatoes
- Peppers
- Cucumbers
- Lettuce,
- Salad bags,
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Raspberries
A spokesman for the supermarket said: “Like other supermarkets, we are experiencing sourcing challenges on some products that are grown in southern Spain and north Africa.
“We have introduced a temporary limit of three of each product on a very small number of fruit and vegetable lines, so customers can pick up the products they are looking for.”
Morrisons
Morrisons is to introduce a maximum cap of two items per customers.
The new rules will come in at all its stores from today.
The limits will apply to tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, peppers from tomorrow.
Tesco
Tesco said it does not currently have any buying limits in place.
The supermarket giant said it is “working hard to ensure good availability for customers”.
Co-op
A spokesman for The Co-Op told The Sun it has no plans to ration fruit and vegetables at this time.
Sainsbury’s
Sainsbury’s said it does not currently have any plans to bring in purchase limits for shoppers.
Lidl
German discounter Lidl said it doesn’t currently have plans to put limits in place.
Marks and Spencer
Marks and Spencer told The Sun it currently has no plans to introduce a buying limit on fruit and vegetables.
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