The (empty) basket case of Europe

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View online February 23, 2023 1 / Britain is the (empty) basket case of Europe as supermarkets ration fruit and veg Britain's biggest supermarket has begun rationing fresh fruit and vegetables as a row erupted over shortages that have left shelves bare.   Tesco has followed Aldi, Asda and Morrisons in introducing limits on items customers can buy.   A shortage of tomatoes has widened to other fruit and vegetables due to a combination of bad weather and transport problems in Africa and Europe.   But farmers and retailers have pointed the finger at Brexit, with former Sainsbury's chief executive Justin King saying shops had been hurt by the decision to leave the European Union.    He said north Kent previously had the largest greenhouses in Europe "but it's a sector that's been hurt horribly by Brexit".   He also said supermarkets had suffered from the government's decision to exclude the industry from its energy support scheme. 2 / Keir Starmer vows to boost UK growth as he sets out Labour's five 'national missions' Labour leader set to emphasis stronger role for private sector in big speech 3 /Race to save £50m Reynolds painting showing early portrait of person of colour   Exclusive: There are just two weeks to save the £50m 18th-century Joshua Reynolds painting – one of the earliest portraits of a person of colour – or it could be lost to a foreign buyer 4 /Begum's lawyers vow to challenge decision after court finds she may have been trafficked to Syria for sexual exploitation Begum's lawyers vow to challenge decision after court finds she may have been trafficked to Syria for sexual exploitation 5 / Police officer shot in Northern Ireland after attack in sports complex Off-duty officer reportedly shot in front of young people at football coaching sessiond The Big Question Why are some supermarkets rationing food? Shoppers have hit out after reports of empty shelves in supermarkets across the country at the weekend. Morrisons has admitted a tomato shortage and a general lack of fresh vegetables is reported elsewhere. Andrea Cowan, the SNP councillor for Rutherglen Central & North, posted a photo on Twitter showing a lack of veg at a site in her local area. Supermarkets across the UK have been hit with fruit and veg shortages intermittently in recent years. A combination of factors has been blamed for the shortages, including supply chain issues caused by the Covid pandemic, soaring energy costs fuelled by Russia's illegal war in Ukraine and a shortage of both permanent and seasonal farm workers due to Brexit. Lea Valley, which stretches from Hertfordshire and Essex to north London, produced around 75 per cent of Britain's cucumbers and peppers in 2020. The area – dubbed the 'cucumber capital of Britain' – could see production halved this year compared with 2020 figures. For the full story click here > Enjoying this newsletter? Unlock unlimited, ad-free reading on the website and in The Independent app when you subscribe – plus, benefit from our welcome offer when you join today. Watch/ 'Energy genocide' in Ukraine | On The Ground NUMBER OF THE DAY £50m – Exclusive: There are just two weeks to save the £50m 18th-century Joshua Reynolds painting – one of the earliest portraits of a person of colour – or it could be lost to a foreign buyer Read more here  QUOTE OF THE DAY "The secretary of state for farming denying any problems when supermarkets are limiting tomatoes and peppers shows that she is out of touch with British farmers and consumers." – im Farron MP, the Liberal Democrats' environment spokesperson.   Read more here  Turkey and Syria earthquake appeal £35,035 – The Independent is appealing for help in raising urgently needed funds following the deadliest earthquake to hit Turkey and Syria in almost a century. 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