Tomato shortage explained as Aldi, Morrisons, Tesco and more shoppers spot bare shelves

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Shoppers have been left baffled after spotting empty shelves where there should be fresh tomatoes when they are at the supermarket.With inflation rates and energy costs forcing food prices up at the supermarket, the weekly shopping trip has certainly changed for millions of households across the UK.

The cost of living crisis has seen issues arise with a variety of basic staples, such as Lurpak butter, pasta, coffee, eggs and oil, and now shoppers have noticed one more product affected - tomatoes.A few have flocked to social media after they reportedly spotted empty tomato shelves, alongside other bare fresh produce sections, at the likes of Aldi, Morrisons and Tesco.With the fruit being the latest item to be hit by a shortage in the last year, some shoppers might have questions, so we have all the information to keep you up to date.According to the Grocery Gazette, the reason for the lack of tomatoes at UK supermarkets is down to rising energy prices.

It has been reported that tomato growers and farmers are struggling to heat their greenhouses due to the increased cost of gas, which has led them to reduce or delay production.

The rising cost of transportation has also been cited as a reason for the lack of tomatoes at stores, alongside the increased cost of seeds, fertiliser and feed.Another factor cited as a reason has been adverse weather conditions in Spain and Morocco, which is where the vast majority of tomatoes come from.