British consumers have been told that shortage of courgettes, aubergines and other vegetables will continue until spring.
Shoppers are being told that if they manage to find stock in their local supermarket they can expect to pay substantially higher prices.
Most fresh vegetables eaten in winter come from Murcia and Valencia in southern Spain, but the regions’ crops have been hit by flooding, frost and now snow.
One supplier said lorries transporting vegetables already in short supply to the UK had been stuck in snow this week. Courgette prices have risen four-fold in the past two weeks.
Speaking to the Guardian, Jodi Vorderman who is the UK distributor for Dutch veggies retailer Valstar Holand, explained that the price of courgette is currently almost triple its usual.
"The main issue is that supplies are low because of cold nights in Spain and Italy. The cold affects courgettes a lot.
"Prices are very high, they are above £20 for a 5kg box. So what retailers are probably doing is that they are not buying at these prices and would rather go empty in the stores than buy at these silly levels. During the summer prices are between £4 and £6.
"Everybody in January tries to eat a more healthy diet, but the real problem is supply. And it’s not just courgettes. Lots of prices are extraordinarily high peppers, aubergines, tomatoes."
Heavy rains in mid-December ruined half the Christmas lettuce harvest in Murcia, and the rains have been been followed by frost and snow, the first snowfall many residents can remember since the early 80s.
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