Playing ketchup

There have been shortages of fresh fruit and vegetables for many months now, but have now gotten so bad that at least two stores are rationing salad items like tomatoes and cucumbers.

The Government says, and the BBC repeats that this is because of unseasonably cold and wet weather through Europe.

Europe, it seems, does not have such shortages.

This is because supplies are coming from Morocco, and although the UK signed a trade deal with Morocco, it is less than one tenth of the value as trade to the EU, and as there is just one border to cross to the EU, and at least two to the UK, priority has been given to exports to the EU.

The UK did plan to have a direct ferry from Morocco to the UK, but this never appeared, in much the same way and circimstances as the ferries to/from Ramsgate didn't happen either.

So, is Brexit the only cause for fruit and vegetable shortages in the UK? No.

Is the the main cause? Yes.

Would removing trade barriers with the EU make things better? Yes.

But, weather.