Asda in Basingstoke is limiting the sale of fresh fruit and vegetables, amid shortages of popular fresh food items.

Some of the products being restricted by the grocery chain include tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers.

A significant amount of fresh fruit and vegetable products are imported from abroad, with other items such as broccoli, cauliflower and raspberries also at threat of being restricted.

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Morrisons said it would be introducing limits of two items per customer across tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce and peppers from Wednesday. Tesco and Aldi have become the latest supermarkets to place limits on some fruit and vegetables.

Extreme weather conditions in Spain and North Africa have been blamed for the shortages, as these are very important regions for growing these foods. The extreme weather includes floods, snow and hail, which have affected harvesting and supplies.

An Asda spokesperson told the BBC: "Like other supermarkets, we are experiencing sourcing challenges on some products that are grown in southern Spain and north Africa."

High energy prices are also being blamed for shortages as farmers in the UK and Netherlands have cut back on their use of greenhouses to grow winter crops, as the cost is too high.

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The European heatwave last year also caused problems with the production of onions which are usually grown in the summer and put in storage.

Basingstoke Gazette:

Director of Food and Sustainability at the British Retail Consortium, Andrew Opie said that the disruption was expected to last for "a few weeks", Adding that supermarkets are "adept at managing supply chain issues and are working with farmers to ensure that customers are able to access a wide range of fresh produce".

Evidence suggests that the UK has suffered particularly badly from the shortage as other European countries show little sign of empty shelves. Experts suggest that the UK could be suffering more because of lower domestic production and complex supply chains.