Why are UK supermarkets facing fresh food shortages?

theguardian.com:

Three of the UK’s largest supermarket chains have introduced limits for shoppers on several fresh produce lines, including tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers, as they try to prevent gaps appearing on shelves.

So what is going on and are the shortages going to spread to other retailers and foodstuffs?

Morrisons has announced limits of two per item on packs of tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce and peppers, while Asda is restricting shoppers to three items each on eight fresh produce lines – including broccoli, cauliflower, raspberries and lettuces.

On Wednesday, Aldi joined them, limiting purchases of peppers, cucumbers and tomatoes to three packs per person.

Other supermarkets are yet to introduce rationing, but grocery retailers have said shortages could last for some weeks.

Certain fresh vegetables and fruits are hard to come by in the UK as a result of an unfortunate combination of poor weather reducing the harvest in Europe and north Africa, as well lower supplies from UK and Dutch producers hit by the jump in energy bills to heat glasshouses.

At this time of year, Britain relies on Spain, Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt for the bulk of salad imports. However, these crops have been affected by unusually cold weather last month, including intense night frosts, while tomato plants have also been damaged or killed by disease – in particular the tomato brown rugose virus.

Meanwhile, Britain and other northern European countries – particularly the Netherlands which is a big vegetable producer – have reduced how many crops they have planted over the winter, after the Ukraine conflict sent bills soaring for the energy required to light and heat greenhouses and the cost of the fertiliser used on plants.

Faced with higher costs for glasshouse