'Let them eat turnips': Tory minister explains how to ease supermarket shortages

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Eating turnips could help avoid shortages of fruit and vegetables in UK supermarkets during the winter months, the environment secretary has said.

Therese Coffey told MPs that continuing product shortages would be a temporary problem which should be resolved in two to four weeks.

She added that the UK should “ cherish the specialties” it has and “a lot of people would be eating turnips right now” as part of a seasonal food pattern – rather than thinking of lettuce, tomatoes and the like.

Ms Coffey went on to acknowledge shoppers want 'year-round choice'.

Her remarks came after fellow Tory Selaine Saxby said supermarkets were importing 'far too many products' and suggested seasonal feeding would solve the problem.

A shortage of tomatoes in UK supermarkets has spread to other fruit and vegetables due to a combination of bad weather and transport problems in Africa and Europe.

Some supermarkets have i introduced customer limits on certain fresh produce, with photographs of empty shelves.

Answering an urgent question in the House of Commons, Ms Coffey said: 'I am led to believe by my o officials, after discussion with industry and retailers, we expect the situation to last approximately another two to four weeks.

"It is important that we try to ensure that we get supply options alternatives. That's why the ministry has already had discussions with the retailers.

"That's why there will also be further discussions led by the ministers, so that we can try to overcome this and try to avoid similar situations in the future.

"While we cannot control the weather, it is important that we try to ensure that supply does not continue to be frustrated as it was due to these unusual weather incidents."

In response to a subsequent question, Ms. Coffey said, "Hopefully this will be a temporary issue."

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It's important to make sure we cherish the specialties we have in this country

Therese Coffey, Secretary at the environment

Ms Saxby, Conservative MP for North Devon, later said: 'The supermarkets are still importing way too much product for us and...e n fact, we should eat more seasonally…