UK headed for fresh produce shortages if Dover jam is not eased tomorrow
The UK is heading for fresh produce shortages as soon as Christmas ends if the chaos at Dover is not eased in the next 24 hours.
The UK has faced nearly 48 hours of chaos at the port of Dover after France shut its border with the UK, including to those carrying freight to the continent.
Speaking at a BEIS select committee meeting this afternoon, British Retail Consortium director of food and sustainability Andrew Opie said held up trucks must get moving tomorrow, or the UK would see food shortages in supermarkets.
“If we do not see the empty trucks getting back over the channel, they will not be able to go and pick up the next consignment of fruits and vegetables. It’s a circular system,” he said.
“Unless those borders open fully and those trucks can roll back to Spain and Portugal, and other areas of Europe, we will have problems, particularly with fresh produce, from 27 September.”
Some 1,500 lorries are queued on the M20 or parked at Kent’s Manston Airport, following France’s decision to shut the border. It has been suggested some 4,000 lorries are affected by the closure around the country.
A new, more infectious variant of the coronavirus, found mostly in London and southeast England, prompted France to take the measure, in the hope of stopping the spread of the virus across the continent.
The European Commission has urged EU member states to stop blanket travel bans on the UK, including on the movement of freight.
The commission said that while non-essential travel should be discouraged, essential travel stoppages, as well as flight and train bans, should be discontinued to avoid supply chain disruptions.
Commissioner for justice Didier Reynders said: “Member States should take coordinated action to discourage non-essential travel between the UK and the EU.
“At the same time, blanket travel bans should not prevent thousands of EU and UK citizens from returning to their homes.”
End in sight?
There are hopes the chaos at Dover could be eased today, as politicians thrash out a plan to restart travel.
Many drivers caught in the mix have slept for two nights in their vehicles and have had limited access to food and bathroom facilities.
According to reports measures agreed between Prime Minister Boris Johnson and French President Emmanuel Macron will be announced later and come into effect from Wednesday.
Last night all European countries banned entry from the UK for 48 hours amid fears about the new variant of the virus.