I'm sorry I haven't a clue
But back to the Lea Valley Growers Association. “Growers there produce around three-quarters of the UK cucumber and pepper crops, and a lot of aubergines and tomatoes … the situation is being made worse by UK producers delaying planting crops this season … They have been put off by high energy costs for greenhouses, and low prices offered by supermarkets for their produce”. So what is our Government doing about this problem?
“Environment Secretary Therese Coffey said on Thursday that shortages could last for a month, but UK growers think it could be for longer”. Like two and a half months. Also, the LVGA reckons “As Spanish and Moroccan produce starts increasing again, growers in those countries are more likely to sell to buyers closer to home”. Less hassle. Better prices.
So fruit and veg is going to cost more - make that even more - on top of all the price rises that have already been passed on to consumers. The Beeb has also noted that their “Basket of 15 food items” has increased in price by 34% over the past two years, with pasta products seeing a 90% rise. So over to Ms Coffey. Would she care to offer some words of reassurance?
The BBC suggested not: “Environment Secretary Therese Coffey has suggested turnips could be a suitable alternative while other vegetables remain in short supply … Ms Coffey told MPs British consumers should ‘cherish’ home-grown produce”. She also suggested that consumers should consider working more hours or looking for better paid jobs.
Not at a supermarket near you, sorry
So let’s consider the humble turnip as a veg alternative. Stu Brooking did just that, consulting the Asda website to find that … they were out of stock. Louis Henwood looked instead at the Tesco site, and found a similar lack of availability. Griff Griffith, who has to have his fruit and veg delivered, got the same result from both Morrisons and Ocado. Yes they have no turnips.
Our Government appears not to have a Scooby Doo when it comes to food security. There has not been the assistance with fuel costs that would have enabled a winter crop grown in glasshouses. Or the realisation that suppliers from southern Europe and north Africa would prioritise the Single Market above those countries which are outside it. No grasp of economics.
What, then, do they think will get them returned by the voters come the next General Election? It certainly won’t be anything in the area of giving a flying foxtrot about the 90% plus who aren’t rolling in the folding stuff. No, next time we go to the polls to elect a Government, the Tories and their press pals will be scaring the crap out of voters by waging an incessant culture war.
And that isn’t good enough. A Government that cares so little about the people it is supposed to look after first should never expect to be ushered back into power, and certainly not when those people have figured out what is going on. A cabinet of clueless and inept nonentities does no more than tell voters to turn up on polling day and usher them out of office for good.
That polling day needs to come sooner rather than later. That is all.
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9 comments:
The Republic of Ireland is also having problems:
https://www.irishtimes.com/food/2023/02/21/supply-of-vegetables-to-ireland-disrupted-by-poor-weather-and-energy-costs/
mobidly obese slug tells poor people to work harder if they want to eat
If only she worked as hard as she expected other people to do, she'd be even larger
Probly won't affect the hybrid of Jabba the Hutt and Tv antiques bloke Phil Serrell...I doubt it's seen a salad in it's life!
Capitalist reduction rationing, this cannot be.
It's an INCREASE in Newspeak 2023 rhubarb.😂
You cannot compare turnips to salad crops. Completely different part of the diet. Anyway, turnips are a root vegetable with plenty of alternatives, such as parsnips, swedes and carrots, all homegrown.
My Sinister Agent in the Reading area reports that turnips have been conspicuous only by their absence in his local Waitrose since before Christmas.
A noted member of the Turnip Taliban speaks
I note someone is conflating "disrupted" and "empty shelves". Must be a Brexiteer.
Maureen Spudulika - half woman half marrow … current and former minister for lots of interesting’ stuff, none of which she has ever had the slightest understanding of ….
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