In short supply

It seems strange in this day and age to be experiencing a vegetable shortage - in today's world of instant gratification we expect to be able to buy what we want when we want it. Yet nature has defied that expectation - due to the poor weather in Spain and Italy (flooding, cold and low light conditions) there is now a shortage of green vegetables in the UK, as most of our unseasonal produce comes from those countries. Think again if you were planning a meal with courgettes, spinach or iceberg lettuces. Consequently, the basic economic principles of supply and demand mean that prices have gone up, and now that these items have to be imported from the USA, they are costing even more.

I think the same has applied to cut daffodils. Our local Waitrose branch still does not have many in yet - I was lucky to find this bunch, literally the last one on the stand, earlier this week. When I asked why there were no daffodils I was told 'I think its because Holland has been so wet this winter - but then isn't Holland always wet?'

I can live without cut daffodils, but I don't like missing out on my green vegetables! Luckily the shortages have not been too noticeable in our branch, but I must check the prices before I glibly put them in my shopping trolley. A Covent Garden market trader said that courgettes are normally £6-£7 a crate, they are now £20-£22 a crate. And this is not due to Brexit or Trump!