Current Affairs 2023

[Manoverboard]

No shortage of tomatoes in our nearest independent Supermarket ... just saying

ps ... Sainsbugs will be delivering our fresh plum tomatoes shortly.

[towny44]

My Sainsbury tomatoes come from Morocco, is there likely to be a shortage of those?

The explanation the BBC has given is that there has been cold weather in Morocco, affecting the tomato crop. If that's where your tomatoes are from, you might not see many when you get home.

You'd best bring some home with you, as the EU doesn't seem to be experiencing the problems we are having

If only we'd have stayed in the EU our tomato plants wouldn't have been stricken down by frost and there would not have been problems with the cost of heating. Our supermarket shelves would have been overflowing with beautiful tomatoes.

At this time of year, we import the bulk of our tomatoes.

Unfortunately, leaving the EU has made everything more challenging

Its certainly given the media lots of opportunities to flex its pro EU bias, and exaggerate every negative incident.
I find it all very akin to covid, for the majority it is now a none event, but the media can usually be relied upon to find someone who thinks otherwise.

[Stephen]

Oh no I can’t get any tomato’s. My world has ended

[oldbluefox]

But did you see the size of Merv's cucumber?

[david63]

Not a fresh tomato to be seen in Tesco this morning (nor any turnips!!!)

[Manoverboard]

Tomato & Turnip soup anyone ?

[Stephen]

But did you see the size of Merv's cucumber?

Are you sure it's Merv's

[oldbluefox]

My informant in Blackpool tells me there were plenty of tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers in Lidl this morning. Get yourselves up there pronto!!! News of the shortages has obviously been slow in getting up there.

[Ray B]

Oh no I can’t get any tomato’s. My world has ended

Know what you mean Stephen, plenty of veg available, always other ways to eat until the word 'shortage', then life as we know it stops.

[Stephen]

If it happens with bacon then words will be mentioned in the 'House'

[Mervyn and Trish]

Our local greengrocer has posted on Facebook.
They have plenty of tomatoes and other fresh fruit and veg. Maybe they voted for independence and stayed in the EU. My inclination is the supermarkets have screwed themselves by paying rock bottom prices for their supplies so any hint of a shortage and they're bottom of the pecking order.

[oldbluefox]

My inclination is the supermarkets have screwed themselves by paying rock bottom prices for their supplies so any hint of a shortage and they're bottom of the pecking order.

There was a report on the radio which said exactly the same insofar as those on the Continent were prepared to pay higher prices and were therefore able to get supplies in.
I am always staggered by the quality of fresh fruit and veg on continental markets when compared to our puny offerings in the shops. Do we buy the low grade produce which our European neighbours reject?

[david63]

Do we buy the low grade produce which our European neighbours reject?

I don't know the answer to that but what probably does have some baring is that the UK supermarkets have massive growing facilities overseas and the produce then has to be shipped over to the UK, packaged and then distributed to the supermarkets. This probably means that the varieties that we get in the supermarkets have been developed to withstand all of this handling and remain "saleable" for days when on the shelves.

This is opposed to what you see in European markets where the produce is grown locally, picked and taken straight to market.

[Mervyn and Trish]

I think the major issue is that years ago we were very happy to eat locally produced food in season. Now we expect to have salad in winter. We need to rejuvenate our farming, invest in our farmers and move back to growing more of our own. Despite the cries of derision when she said it I think there is some sense in the suggestion from the MP that we should be eating more turnips. There's a good climate change reason too. My shopping clocks up far more air miles than me every year!

I'm starting a slogan. Dig For Victory. Has a ring to it.

[Gill W]

Its certainly given the media lots of opportunities to flex its pro EU bias, and exaggerate every negative incident.
I find it all very akin to covid, for the majority it is now a none event, but the media can usually be relied upon to find someone who thinks otherwise.

Pro EU bias? Don't make me laugh, they tie themselves in knots to try to avoid mentioning Brexit [/quote]

I find it all very akin to Covid too, as they bend over backwards not to mention it, and would do anything to avoid mentioning the millions who have long Covid or other post Covid damage.

We need to rejuvenate our farming, invest in our farmers and move back to growing more of our own. Despite the cries of derision when she said it I think there is some sense in the suggestion from the MP that we should be eating more turnips.

People have been saying this about farming for ages, but it seems as if things are getting worse. Only yesterday, it was on the local news that farmers are digging up their apple trees as the crops are too expensive to grow, they can't get people to pick the crops and then face barriers in selling them.

I can understand the so called derision about turnips. People are reluctant to regress to the 1950's when the rest of the world (apart from probably North Korea) can eat what they like, when they like

[david63]

we should be eating more turnips

That is all well and good if only there were some turnips to buy. I actually wanted turnips for a recipe that I was doing last week and there were no turnips on the shelves.

The problems with providing produce go back years and are not all of any government's doing solely - the supermarkets are a lot to blame.

It is the supermarkets that decided what we are going to eat, and when, and now cannot break out of that loop. Farming in the UK was badly affected by the EU agriculture policy and other EU regulations.

[Gill W]

Apparently, most of the turnips we grow are used to feed animals, and we import 7 times as many turnips than we export.

The turnip production would have to be increased hugely, if they were to become our winter staple. Then there's the problem of who is going to pick them and it's a low value crop, so there's no incentive for farmers to produce turnips.

Our food security has got into a right old pickle. (is there a shortage of pickles yet)

[Stephen]

The restrictions and hoops farmers have to jump through it's a wonder we grow anything.

[Mervyn and Trish]

we should be eating more turnips

That is all well and good if only there were some turnips to buy. I actually wanted turnips for a recipe that I was doing last week and there were no turnips on the shelves.

The problems with providing produce go back years and are not all of any government's doing solely - the supermarkets are a lot to blame.

It is the supermarkets that decided what we are going to eat, and when, and now cannot break out of that loop. Farming in the UK was badly affected by the EU agriculture policy and other EU regulations.

I think the turnip was largely symbolic in the example. Your last para is spot on. We're out of the EU now and we need to get on with rebuilding our own food industry.

[barney]

I was reading a bit of Dutch and Belgian press today. Guess what ?
Vegetable shortage particularly tomatoes and cucumbers.
Who’d have thought it?
Caused by Brexit ?

[oldbluefox]

Have you seen the price of turnips? And have you noticed how long they take to cook?

[Mervyn and Trish]

Have you seen the price of turnips? And have you noticed how long they take to cook?

Longer than a cucumber I expect

[towny44]

Have you seen the price of turnips? And have you noticed how long they take to cook?

Longer than a cucumber I expect

I have never seen a Turnip that's longer than a cucumber.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Don't worry. Size isn't everything.

[CaroleF]

My Ocado order arrived today, tomatoes and lettuce included, no items missing. Very satisfied. I really like tomatoes, especially with salt and black pepper, extra virgin olive oil and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and a scattering of basil leaves, especially the tiny leafed Greek basil. I have tomatoes nearly every evening with my supper and would really miss them if they weren't available.

Carole