Great Britain
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UK 'sleepwalking' into food supply crisis as farmers warn of fruit and veg shortages

The UK is "sleepwalking" into a food supply crisis - with egg shortages likely to be "just the start", farming chiefs have warned.

The National Farmers Union (NFU) said soaring fuel, fertiliser and feed costs were putting producers under strain and fruit and vegetables such as tomatoes, cucumbers and pears are next to be hit.

Supermarkets have been forced to ration eggs after poultry farmers were hit by the double whammy of bird flu and rising costs.

NFU President Minette Batters warned that egg shortages "could just be the start" as food producers in other areas are being impacted.

"Shoppers up and down the country have for decades had a guaranteed supply of high-quality affordable food produced to some of the highest animal welfare, environmental and food safety standards in the world," Ms Batters told the BBC.

Fruit and vegetables, such as tomatoes, cucumbers and pears, could be at risk (

Image:

Getty Images/iStockphoto)

"But British food is under threat... at a time when global volatility is threatening the stability of the world's food production, food security and energy security.

"I fear the country is sleepwalking into further food supply crises, with the future of British fruit and vegetable supplies in trouble."

Tomatoes, cucumbers and pears are likely to be affected, the NFU said, as they come from energy-intensive crops.

It comes as shoppers face soaring prices for groceries, with food inflation hitting 12.4% in the week to November, according to the British Retail Consortium.

The rate of food price inflation is expected to reach a peak year-on-year of between 17% and 19% in early 2023, the Institute of Grocery Distribution (IGD) earlier announced.

This is up from its previous forecast of a peak of between 14% and 16%.

Downing Street said that the public should be "reassured" by the UK's "large and highly resilient food supply chain" and "strong food security".

A Defra spokesman said: "Our high degree of food security is built on supply from diverse sources; strong domestic production as well as imports through stable trade routes."

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