24 funny tweets that get to the root of the fruit and veg shortage
If you’ve been in a UK supermarket recently, you’ll probably have noticed a lot of empty spaces in the produce shelves, as the country faces a shortage of some fresh fruit and vegetables.
Fruit and veg shortage set to continue for weeks https://t.co/oEG1TzqB7J
— BBC Science News (@BBCScienceNews) February 21, 2023
Media reports blamed the problem on extreme weather, which raised questions and eyebrows.
Well France is getting plenty of local, Spanish and Moroccan tomatoes.
Beautiful choice too… Free marketeers love choice. pic.twitter.com/SyqC95Kb4V
— Dr Mike Galsworthy (@mikegalsworthy) February 22, 2023
The UK press is saying that the veg shortage is a Europe-wide problem, due to bad weather.
Meanwhile, today in Tenerife 👇 pic.twitter.com/mx3xY3oWPn— Colin the Vaxxed. 🏳️🌈 🏳️⚧️ 🇪🇺 🇪🇦 (@ColinIsEuropean) February 22, 2023
Since Brexit, most EU-based produce suppliers have stopped exporting to the UK due to increased costs and red tape, leaving British importers reliant on a smaller number of countries, mostly Morocco, Spain and the Netherlands.
Morocco and Spain have recently suffered very cold weather, while the Netherlands, like the UK, has reduced its production levels because of the high price of heating greenhouses.
For the avoidance of doubt, extreme weather & energy costs *have* affected fruit & veg production &, no matter how many pics of groaning French & German supermarket shelves are posted, other countries may be affected by this. The question is why the UK gets hit first and hardest?
— James O'Brien (@mrjamesob) February 21, 2023
When asked about the supply issues, Thérèse Coffey, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, produced a word salad.
Batters, "Front page of every newspaper, salad shortages, Asda rationing."
Coffey, "We can't control the weather in Spain." pic.twitter.com/McaaPwYu0P
— Farrukh (@implausibleblog) February 22, 2023
These tweets were a lot more coherent.
1.
2016: sunlit uplands
2023: 'Security to checkout – someone's trying to buy two cucumbers' https://t.co/kPAntwGkjp
— Toby Earle 🇺🇦 (@TobyonTV) February 21, 2023
2.
You didn't like Polish nurses, so now you can't have cucumbers.
— Danny Wallace (@dannywallace) February 22, 2023
3.
Why wasn't salad rationed when I was young? Kids these days have all the luck.
— Sam Freedman (@Samfr) February 22, 2023
4.
I think we all know why the UK is the only country with food shortages – the last Labour government. #BrexitFoodShortages
— Parody Rishi Sunak (@Parody_PM) February 22, 2023
5.
Wait until ITV hears there's a fruit and veg shortage in the UK pic.twitter.com/AN9u56Z06e
— SHANE REACTION (@imshanereaction) February 22, 2023
6.
one of the great advantages of Brexit is less queuing in shops because there is no food to buy pic.twitter.com/CprBGBcU9P
— dave ❄️ 🥕 🧻 (@mrdavemacleod) February 22, 2023
7.
BREAKING: Due to empty store shelves, the prime minister has announced the introduction of blue ration books! This would not have been possible if we were still in the EU 😍
— Laura Kuenssberg beyond parody (@LKTranslator) February 22, 2023
8.
I've had to put extra security in at home..
I've got two peppers and a punnet of tomatoes in the fridge 🤫#BrexitFoodShortages
— Stormzy💙 (@Nurseborisbash) February 22, 2023
9.
Okay, so I have two tomatoes – willing to swap them for a two bed house or one bed flat in London #foodshortages pic.twitter.com/nZBkZFITvt
— Dr Kelly 🏳️🌈🇪🇺 (@KellyQuilt) February 21, 2023
10.
Worried that with everywhere rationing salad, Liz Truss won't have any real political opposition if she tries to rise to power again.
— Tiernan Douieb (@TiernanDouieb) February 21, 2023
11.
How Brexit is analysed in Britain. A tomato timeline.
There is no tomato shortage
There are shortages in some areas.
The shortages are nothing to do with Brexit.
Brexit may have had some small impact but remember the vaccines.
We didn't have tomatoes during the war.#r4today— Gerry McK (@GMcK2012) February 22, 2023
12.
Next Brexit benefit: Rickets https://t.co/e9d0BAcEjt
— Lady Scarborough 💙 (@Scarborough_GB) February 21, 2023
