Asda, Sainsbury's, Tesco, Aldi, Lidl, Morrisons warned of major shortage - Birmingham Live

The UK imports much of its supply from Spain but farmers have been forced to plant them late

Supermarkets are being warned of a potential tomato shortage with price rises expected to hit major outlets in the coming months. Supply issues in this country and abroad mean that supply on the salad staple could be highly limited.

The British Tomato Growers’ Association (BTGA) said that key tomato farmers in the UK had reduced or delayed planting their crop this year. It comes as UK production – which is reliant on greenhouses being heated to 20 degrees Celsius – has been hit by soaring energy costs, while export supplies from key territories Spain and the Netherlands have also been tightened.

BTGA spokeswoman Julie Woolley told The Grocer: "Wholesale gas prices impact all growers and tomato availability is a global issue". This has led to supermarkets being warned of tighter constrains on supply of tomatos.

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The UK imports about 80% of its tomatoes, mostly from the Netherlands and Spain. Many growers in the two countries had either planted late or not at all. It comes as research shows that tomato prices have already risen in response to these challenges.

The average wholesale price of cherry tomatoes in the UK rose by 58% year-on-year in March, reaching an average of £3.83/kg. Lea Valley Growers Association secretary Lee Stiles revealed that many tomato growers have not planted at all this year, adding that “British produce will be down significantly on previous years”.

Mintec expects supplies to remain limited in the coming months, potentially resulting in further price increases in the short term. British supplies are also expected to increase as the weather improves.

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