UK high-tech greenhouse growers are observing a disruption in banana supply chains, attributed to tropical storms affecting Pacific shipping routes. This has resulted in cargo ships being stranded at ports, impacting supermarket chains like Tesco and M&S. Social media images depict empty shelves with notices citing shipment delays.
In Osterley, west London, a store sign states, "We are sorry that bananas are out of stock due to bad weather conditions. We are working hard with our suppliers to refill our shelves." The extent of the impact remains uncertain, with reports from Maidstone, the Isle of Sheppey, London, and Bournemouth.
Similar shortages are noted at M&S in Chichester, West Sussex. A customer, Linda Okorie, expressed concern on social media, asking, "Is there a banana famine that I am not aware of? How can my local Tesco and Aldi be out for the past three days?"
Bananas are generally sourced from Ecuador, the Philippines, Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Colombia. Recent weather disturbances, with six tropical storms reported in the South Pacific and Indian Oceans in late February, are believed to be the cause of these shortages.
Source: Metro