‘We’ve experienced no more difficulties than usual’, says local fruit and veg owner

Due to a combination of bad weather and transport problems in Africa and Europe, supermarket shelves have been in low in tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers, with a shortage of leeks also to be expected due to challenging weather conditions in the UK.

Earlier this week, supermarkets in Northern Ireland began limiting the sale of tomatoes and other fruit and vegetables because of a lack of imports, meaning Asda and Tesco restricted customers to only purchasing three items on certain goods.

However, Frank McCooke, of Slemish Market Garden, insists business has been booming at their shop in recent days.

"To tell you the truth, we have had no scarcity of fruit and veg, and even if we were low, we would be able to source items elsewhere," he said.

"We've experienced no more difficulties at this time of the year as we have had in previous years.

"Smaller, independent shops are doing well because they're flexible and we're no different as we've sold double the amount of produce we usually do at this time of the year.

"It is nice to be able to give customers what they're looking for and it's important we are stocked with top, quality produce to bring them back.

"With a demand in supply, it is expected that prices will get dearer."

UFU deputy president John McLenaghan said, “A high percentage of fruit and veg that we eat is exported from other countries such as Spain and Morocco. The weather in these areas has been a lot colder in recent weeks especially at night which is impacting the growth of fruit and veg, and the volume that is being exported to NI. Transport issues have also been reported.

“This situation is another prime example of why we cannot be relaying on other countries for food supplies. We can produce high-quality fruit and veg, alongside other produce, right here on our doorstep. With the support of government, we need to be increasing local food production so that no matter what is going on in the rest of the world, we have nutritious food available whenever we need it.”