Veg shortage: Lidl becomes latest supermarket to limit food items, joining rivals such as Aldi and Tesco

Lidl has become the latest supermarket to limit sales of certain fruit and vegetables as a shortage continues to grip the UK. The German budget retailer will be restricting the sales of tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers to three per customer, according to BBC News.

It follows similar moves from Lidl’s rival Aldi, along with Tesco, Asda and Morrisons. Aldi and Tesco are restricting items to three per customer, while Morrisons has gone a step further and is limiting items to two per customer.

Asda is limiting purchases to three items per shopper, but across a wider range of products including tomato packs, peppers, cucumber, lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, salad bags and raspberries.

The shortages are thought to be down to “difficult weather conditions” in Southern Europe and Northern Africa where much of the UK’s produce is grown. Farms across the UK have also suffered due to the rocketing costs of energy used to heat up greenhouses.

Environment minister Therese Coffey said she expected the shortages will last another “two to four weeks” with the UK’s leading supermarkets soon to meet with farming minister Mark Spencer.

Mr Spencer has called on supermarket bosses to “get shelves stocked again and to outline how we can avoid a repeat of this”.

Which supermarkets are currently limiting the sale of certain food items including tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers?

• Lidl- three items per customer
• Aldi - three items per customer
• Tesco - three items per customer
• Asda - three items per customer 
• Morrisons - two items per customer

Supermarkets yet to announce restrictions include Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and M&S Food.