Supermarket shelves set to empty as fruit and veg growers warn they will have to halt production due to rising costs sparked by Iran war
Supermarket shelves are set to empty, fruit and veg growers have warned, as they face needing to halt production due to a rise in costs sparked by the war in Iran. Tehran's ongoing retaliatory bombing of the Gulf, after the country was attacked by the US and Israel on February 28, has seen global fuel prices skyrocket. It comes after the conflict effectively shut down the Strait of Hormuz - the narrow waterway through which about 20million barrels of oil normally pass each day. And British growers have been no less affected by the crisis, warning rising energy prices and transport costs may force them to end the planting season early. Associations to represent the agriculturists have raised concerns this could see UK supermarket shelves empty of fresh produce if the industry receives no support. Lee Stiles, secretary for Lea Valley Growers Association (LVGA), said shoppers could see a repeat of supply issues that came after the Russia-Ukraine war began in 2022.He explained: 'Growers are in the same position now as they were when Russia invaded Ukraine, because the wholesale gas prices are creeping up.' 'With rising costs, many growers are thinking they might as well send the staff home, stop for the season and not produce anything. British growers have been hit hard by the fuel crisis brought on by conflict in the Middle East, warning rising energy prices and transport costs may force them to end the planting season early. Pictured: File photo from a previous shortage in 2023 Associations to represent the agriculturists have raised concerns this could see UK supermarket shelves empty of fresh produce if the industry receives no support. Pictured: File photo 'They're going to have to make a decision in the next few weeks as to whether or not it's going to be economic to continue for the rest of the year.'The Hertfordshire-based LVGA represents 70 glasshouse growers, mostly around the London border, but also across the country. They are the biggest grower of cucumbers in the UK, and also plant sweet peppers, aubergines and tomatoes.If growers cannot afford to turn their boilers on, their glasshouses cannot be heated, meaning crops will stop growing - and yields will reduce. Mr Stiles explained: 'Back in 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine, we ended up with empty shelves in the supermarkets.'The supermarkets agreed a fixed price with growers last year. 'They can intervene now if they wish and agree to pay more for the produce because of the increased cost of production.'But it looks as though they're prepared to have empty shelves again and reduced availability.'Rachael Williams, of West Sussex Growers Association (WSGA), similarly said: 'I have touched base with our growers and everybody's obviously worried. 'They are worried about what will happen, how it will develop, and the uncertainty of it all.'Ms Williams said it is not just direct energy costs that are worrying growers: 'It's four-fold really. 'It's the rise in transportation costs, input costs, supply chain disruption, and then, of course, from the energy perspective heating the glasshouses.'On the transport cost, red diesel has gone up by more than 50 per cent in just ten days, that's huge for open field growers using tractors too.'On March 1, red diesel was priced at 79.44 pence per litre, according to heating oil firm BoilerJuice.But just ten days later, as of March 12, it had soared to 131.26 pence per litre, WSGA represents growers in fruit, vegetable and ornamental plant production, predominantly in West Sussex. Only two days after the US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, in what was known as Operation Epic Fury, Tehran declared the Strait of Hormuz closed. Pictured: A tanker anchored in Muscat, Oman, on Thursday after the strait was closed Their members plant sweetcorn, courgettes, lettuce, strawberries, blueberries and more. It comes as the National Farmers' Union (NFU) met with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to discuss the UK's food resilience.NFU president Tom Bradshaw said: 'We've already seen this situation play out with the Russian invasion of Ukraine which drove an ongoing cost-of-living crisis here. 'And, with the removal of farm support which added a layer of resilience for many farm businesses, farmers are more exposed than ever to global markets.'While the impact on food production and food price inflation will depend on what happens over the coming weeks, it is yet another sobering reminder of the need to build resilience in UK farming.'Only two days after the US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, in what was known as Operation Epic Fury, Tehran declared the Strait of Hormuz closed. The 25-mile-wide strip of water between the south coast of Iran and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) – through which 20 per cent of the world's oil and gas exports travel – has become a chokehold.As a result, oil prices are surging, hitting over $100 a barrel this week – a $27 increase from the day before US President Donald Trump attacked Iran. And Iran's new Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, vowed on Thursday to keep the strait closed to all shipping – a chilling threat to the global economy.He also declared that unless the US and Israel pay 'compensation' for the aggressive bombardments from the past two weeks that have devastated Tehran and other Iranian cities, reprisal attacks on Western assets around the world will be ordered.In a chilling turn after this announcement, British troops at a joint US and UK military base in Iraq were attacked on Wednesday night by two Iranian drones.Trump has now deployed thousands of US Marines to the strait amid mounting fears the only way to resolve the strangled oil supply is to put boots on the ground. US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth approved a request by US Central Command for the deployment of a Marine expeditionary unit, typically including several warships and 5,000 troops, officials said. The Japan-based USS Tripoli, an amphibious assault ship, and its attached Marines are now headed for the Middle East, where they join other servicemen.
