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Environment Minister Therese Coffey: "Many people would eat beets now"
Photo: HENRY NICHOLLS / REUTERS
The shortage on UK vegetable shelves could continue for up to a month, according to government sources.
Environment Minister Therese Coffey, who is also responsible for food, announced this assessment on Thursday after talks with retailers in front of Parliament.
In view of the meager yield of tomatoes, lettuce and cucumbers on the market, she referred to local vegetables that were suitable for the season.
"A lot of people would be eating turnips right now, and not necessarily thinking about lettuce and tomatoes," she said.
On Wednesday, Britain's largest retailer, Tesco, followed rivals like Aldi and Asda by capping the sale of salads per customer.
The background is a poor harvest in southern Europe and North Africa due to the weather and high energy costs in Great Britain and the Netherlands, where vegetables are grown in greenhouses.
Justin King, a manager at retailer Marks & Spencer, accused the government of failing to help vegetable growers deal with high energy costs, which prompted them to turn to imports.
King also referred to the exit from the EU, which contributes to the problem.
However, Brexit advocates reject this.
"If I had only been told before I voted for Brexit that it would cause frost in Morocco - then I could have made a different decision," scoffed Conservative MP Desmond Swayne.
kfr/Reuters