Boris Johnson warns supermarket shelves could be empty for months due to food shortages
Boris Johnson has warned that supermarket shelves could stay empty in the months ahead, sparking fears of shortages in the run-up to Christmas.
The Prime Minister told reporters that the food sector was struggling due to a lack of hauliers and soaring gas demand, but claimed the problems were temporary.
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Hide AdThe UK has been hit by shortages in everything from fresh fruit to meat in recent weeks due to supply chain issues.
Many have put the issues down to a shortage of HGV drivers and a general shortage of labour in the wake of Brexit and new, tougher immigration rules.
A high global demand for gas has also caused problems in the supply chain, with meat producers warning that a fall in carbon dioxide supply could threaten production of meat products.
The government held talks with energy suppliers over the weekend (September 18) to discuss a potential rise in wholesale gas prices.
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Hide AdThe PM has indicated that issues with the supply chain will be temporary, but did not indicate how long the disruption might last.
Ahead of a trip to the United States, Johnson spoke to reporters about supply issues, saying from his plane:
"We’re experiencing bottlenecks in all kinds of things as the world wakes up from Covid.
"It’s like everybody going back to put the kettle on at the end of a TV programme, you’re seeing huge stresses on the world supply systems.
"But you’re also seeing businesses bouncing back strongly."
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Hide AdHe added: "It is fundamentally caused by the global economy coming to life again.
"The guy ropes are pinging off Gulliver and it’s standing up, and it’s going to take a while, as it were, for the circulation to adjust.”
The UK has been plagued by problems in the supply chain for several months, with the “pingdemic” initially blamed for a shortage in workers thanks to the large volume of those forced to self-isolate.
The current problems with the supply chain are being blamed on a shortage of labour throughout the supply chain, especially a shortage of lorry drivers.