The British Minister of the Environment urged her citizens to eat turnips, in light of the shortage faced by stores in various types of fruits and vegetables, most notably tomatoes and sweet peppers, which sparked sarcastic comments. A British reporter who is currently in Ukraine said: “There is no shortage of tomatoes here, even though I am in Kherson.” Kherson, a Ukrainian border city, is bombed by Russia daily, and I am not in a British supermarket.
To address this supply problem, a number of stores have limited the amount of fruits and vegetables that customers are allowed to buy, so that these commodities are available to everyone. The supply problem is due to bad weather in southern Europe and North Africa, according to the National Federation of Traders.
Environment Minister Therese Coffey told Parliament Thursday that the problem could last "two to four weeks".
Conservative MP Celine Saxby commented, "Stores continue to import many products (..)", adding, "We should eat more seasonal produce and support British farmers."
"It's important to make sure we value the products that our country produces," Coffey replied, adding, "A large number of Britons are now eating turnips rather than thinking about lettuce, tomatoes or any similar greens."
"But I understand that consumers want a year-round option," she added.
After the minister's statement received many reactions, a spokesperson for the British government presidency said that Coffey wanted to "value what is produced in the United Kingdom, but in the end, the choice is up to the British to choose the foods they want to buy."
The spokesman stressed that the shortage of vegetables and fruits is not caused by Britain's exit from the European Union.