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The rain in Spain could mean pain for British shoppers

Fears over vegetables and fruits

Fears over Mallorca potato crop

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British householders could suffer a major shortage of fresh fruit and vegetables after the heavy rains in Spain destroyed crops. Spain and Morocco jointly account for 57 percent of all Uk tomate imports and the vats majority of cumumbers and sweet peppers come from Spain.

According to Sky News, Tom Lancaster, land, food and farming analyst at ECIU, said it was "too early to say" whether the recent floods will disrupt supply for British shoppers but pointed to previous knock-on effects on supermarket offerings. In early 2023, extreme weather in the Mediterranean region led to empty shelves in the UK, with Tesco limiting sales of some fruit and vegetables.

Andrew Opie, director of food and sustainability at the UK's retail association, the British Retail Consortium, acknowledged that difficult conditions have "impacted the harvest for some crops".

Spain and Morocco are key for British shoppers and there are also fears over exports of new potatoes from Sa Pobla in Mallorca with Britain being a top market.

Approximately 5,0000 tons of baby potatoes are exported from Mallorca to the United Kingdom annually, primarily between March and June. These potatoes, largely cultivated in the Sa Pobla region, constitute a significant portion of early-season imports, with 70% of Spanish potato exports to the UK coming from this area.
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