LEAVING the EU without a deal would lead to empty shelves in supermarkets and higher food prices, Britain’s leading retailers have warned MPs.
Ahead of tomorrow’s key vote on the potential options going forward, the likes of M&S, Sainsbury's, Lidl, Tesco, Morrisons, the Co-op and Waitrose said the stockpiling of fresh produce would be impossible, stressing how the UK relied heavily on the continent for such produce.
A letter to MPs from the British Retail Consortium[BRC] and signed by some of the country’s major food retailers pointed out the UK Government's own estimate that freight through Calais could slump by nearly 90 per cent from current levels, thus threatening the availability and shelf-life of many products.
"We are extremely concerned that our customers will be among the first to experience the realities of a no-deal Brexit," the retailers declared.
"We anticipate significant risks to maintaining the choice, quality and durability of food that our customers have come to expect in our stores, and there will be inevitable pressure on food prices from higher transport costs, currency devaluation and tariffs."
The letter pointed out that if the UK were to revert to World Trade Organisation rules under a no-deal scenario, then this would "greatly increase import costs that would in turn put upward pressure on food prices".
The letter noted how nearly one third of the food in the UK came from the EU and cautioned that the “just in time” supply chain of imported food would be "significantly disrupted" if there were a no-deal outcome.
It explained: "In March, the situation becomes more acute as UK produce is out of season.”
At that time of year, some 90 per cent of lettuces, 80 per cent of tomatoes and 70 per cent of soft fruit sold in the UK has been grown in the EU.
“As this produce is fresh and perishable, it needs to be moved quickly from farms to our stores," the retailers stressed.
They also noted how it would be difficult to stockpile any more produce given "all frozen and chilled storage is already been used".
The retailers added: "While we have been working closely with our suppliers on contingency plans, it is not possible to mitigate all the risks to our supply chains and we fear significant disruption as a result if there is no Brexit deal."
Labour's Tonia Antoniazzi, on behalf of the pro-EU Best for Britain campaign, said: “This shows up the lies of Brexiteers who promised lower food prices and greater prosperity after Brexit. Now we’re seeing study after study saying food prices will rise and our top supermarkets worried about empty shelves.
“Enough is enough," declared the MP for Gower in Wales. "This letter makes a stark observation that food security is at risk. At a time when food bank usage stands at an all-time high, it’s not on that the Prime Minister has so far refused to take away the no deal threat in an attempt to boost support for her awful deal. Parliament must act now to block the Government’s reckless blackmail,” she added.
The BRC has previously warned that a "cliff-edge" Brexit would clog up food supplies, raise prices and throw retailers out of business.
Last July, it said food and beverage products would face an average increase of up to 29 per cent in the cost of importing from the EU from non-tariff barriers alone. Many of these increases would be passed on to consumers in higher prices, it said at the time.
Earlier this month, Sainsbury's ands Tesco, Britain's two biggest food retailers, said the UK faced a fresh food bottleneck if it dropped out of the EU without a deal.
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