Supermarket price warning for tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers | UK | News
Shoppers may soon see higher prices on everyday items, including tomatoes (Image: Getty)
Shoppers may soon see higher prices on everyday items like tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers. The National Farmers Union (NFU) said the ongoing conflict in the Middle East was already affecting the cost of food production in the UK.
This comes as the disruption of key global supply routes has increased the prices of vital fuels and fertilizers for farmers. NFU president Tom Bradshaw said some of the first price increases could be seen within a few weeks.
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Ongoing conflict in the Middle East is starting to affect the cost of food production in the UK (Image: Getty)
He told the BBC: “Things like cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes for our horticultural production in greenhouses – within the next month, six weeks we’ll see these cost increases pass through to the retailer.”
“And then for some of our farm-scale products, some of our crops, our milk and things like that, we’ll start to see those prices come in over the next three to six months.”
Most of the world’s natural gas, crude oil and fertilizer passes through the Strait of Hormuz, which has been closed for more than three weeks.
This has made it more expensive to grow crops, especially those produced in heated greenhouses, such as tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers.
Mr Bradshaw said the situation could have far-reaching consequences. He added that the crackdown “spans the entire food supply chain” and warned it was “something the Government needs to take very seriously”.
Some of the first price increases may be seen within a few weeks (Image: Getty)
He also said the conflict’s impact on global production “will disrupt world supply and have a dramatic impact.”
While farmers are already facing higher costs, it is not yet clear how much of this will be passed on to consumers.
The NFU said some businesses could absorb some of the increase, but added that “some costs will inevitably be passed on to the consumer”.
Other parts of the agricultural sector may also be affected. Livestock and dairy farmers may find costs add up more quickly because they often purchase the fertilizer they need; Agricultural farmers who grow crops such as wheat and barley may feel the impact later because they tend to purchase supplies in advance.
There is also concern that the prices of red diesel, which is widely used in agricultural machinery, will increase.
The British Retail Consortium (BRC) said disruption to shipping routes could also affect the availability and price of some goods.
It is not yet clear how much of this extra cost will be passed on to consumers. (Image: Getty)
Andrew Opie, BRC’s food and sustainability director, told the BBC: “In this volatile environment, it is more important than ever that the government keeps other inflationary pressures in check to a minimum to protect households.”
He added that retailers and suppliers “are adept at managing such disruptions” and “will work hard to minimize the impact on customers.”
Agriculture minister Angela Eagle said she was “monitoring developments in the Middle East and their impact on our food and agriculture sectors.”
He added that concerns about the “price transparency” of red diesel had been forwarded to the Competition and Market Authority.
Senior ministers are expected to meet next week to discuss the wider impacts of the conflict, including food prices, energy bills and the cost of living.
