SHOPPERS face a shortage of bananas because storms have stopped ships heading for Britain.
Strong winds and heavy rain in the Pacific meant South American vessels bound for Europe were stranded at ports.
2
At the end of February, there were six tropical cyclones churning across the South Pacific and Indian oceans simultaneously.
Empty shelves were spotted in supermarkets including Tesco and M&S this week, with grocery sources saying it was a national issue.
There were very few left on the bananas shelves at an M&S Foodhall in Chichester, West Sussex.
A sign at a Tesco in Osterley, West London, said: “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.”
And on the Isle of Sheppey, empty racks were covered with a sign saying: “Due to shipment delays, we have no bananas.”
An M&S insider said it should be resolved this week as shipments were already on the way again.
But shoppers vented their frustrations online.
Customer Linda Okorie wrote: “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?”
In March last year, dozens of supermarkets including Tesco and Aldi were hit by banana shortages owing to transatlantic storms.
Bananas typically come from Ecuador, the Philippines, Guatemala, Costa Rica and Colombia.
The fruit is the most commonly bought item in British supermarkets — even more popular than milk, eggs or bread.
Researchers at Kantar said the typical household bought about 174 bananas in the past year.
- Unlock even more award-winning articles as The Sun launches brand new membership programme – Sun Club.
2
