Will there be food shortages after brexit and do you need to stockpile food?

But is this Project Fear doom and gloom or is there a point to be made about disruption to the UK food supply chain? Here's the latest.

Will there be food shortages after Brexit?

Fears about food shortages have been reported since the Brexit vote in 2016, but mainly in the event of a No Deal.

Some say that Britain leaving the EU without a divorce deal could drive up the cost of importing food from abroad.

The UK produces around 60 per cent of our own food – and 30 per cent comes from the EU.

And some experts say that curbing immigration could harm the homegrown food industry which relies heavily on foreign workers.

Seasonal fruit-and-veg pickers are often brought into the UK from abroad and many food factories hire from the EU.

As a result, the Government has put forward plans for a seasonal farm work visa, which will allow a maximum of 2,500 migrants a year to work on UK farms for six months.

The plan has been welcomed by the National Farmers’ Union (NFU), saying it was a “major victory”.

Whether Britain will actually see a food shortage when it leaves the EU in a few weeks remains to be seen, but it's likelier in a No Deal Brexit, according to experts.

What happens if there's a No-Deal Brexit?

If the UK leaves the UK without a deal, it will trigger food shortages and a surge in supermarket prices, according to recent Government documents.

In the warning, officials said one in 10 product would be directly affected by delays caused by chaos between Dover and Calais – with the biggest effect on fruit and veg.

Last summer, ministers drew up secret plans to stockpile processed food in case the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

Yet storage could be difficult as 90 per cent of Britain's refrigerated warehouses are running at full capacity.

Meanwhile, other experts have blasted claims that Britain will run out of food and supermarket shelves go empty in the event of a No Deal Brexit.

Boffins at the Institute for Economic Affairs said that businesses who import and export around the world have already had two years' notice to make adjustments for leaving the EU – and fear-mongering reports of no food were overblown.

What food should you stockpile?

If you're still worried about any food shortages, keep in mind that there are plenty of British made staples such as flour, oats, lentils, sugar, salt, vinegar and mustard.

Popular foods from the EU that you might want to stockpile include olive oil, pepper, pasta and rice.

Spices, various types of beans and tinned fish will also be good to buy more of in advance.

Sadly, stocking up on a lot of fresh food to avoid a potential veg and fruit shortage will be difficult for natural reasons.

What should we be stocking up on ahead of Brexit?

Clean water – Yep, you read that correctly. Environment Secretary Michael Gove believes Britain could run out of clean water within days after claiming that the country's supply depends heavily on chemicals imported from the EU.

Medicines – The Government promises to have six weeks worth of medical supplies after Brexit and is warning Brits shouldn't stockpile drugs at home. Still, health bosses warned that hospitals could run out of life-saving drugs in a no-deal situation.

Fresh food – Tesco has joined other businesses in stockpiling goods in case of a no-deal although it confessed that storing fresh food would be "hard" to do.

Motor goods – BMW has warned that it would have to close UK plants if parts imported from the EU are stopped at the border.

What did John Redwood say on Victoria Derbyshire?

Brexit-backing MP John Redwood insisted that British farmers need not worry about finding seasonal workers after Brexit.

Appearing on Victoria Derbyshire on September 20, the Tory MP told a fruit grower that Brexit will give him control over his workforce.

He said: “Of course, you’ll have staff and we will control our own migration policies and they are already talking about a seasonal worker provision for exactly your kind of condition.

“But it will be your government and you will be able to persuade them of your needs and we will make our own decision."

He added: “What’s wrong with taking back control and doing things in Britain’s interests, instead of the EU’s interest.”



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