Retailers look further afield to tackle lettuce crisis after vegetable shortage hits supermarkets
The lettuce crisis (yes it has really been called that) has taken hold to such an extent that retailers are frantically searching for other options.
The UK relies on a range of growers across southern Europe for its veg stocks in the winter, but some extreme weather has meant extremely bare supermarket shelves after the harvest shrank and ramped up prices of the likes of iceberg lettuces, courgettes, broccoli et al.
It's also meant supermarkets like Tesco and Morrisons have enforced rations on customers to make sure the depleted lettuces are spread around.
And according to IAG Cargo, International Airlines Group's cargo division, there has been an influx of demand for other routes as retailers look to make sure Brits get their five a day.
Read more: Lettuce panic! Supermarkets are now rationing iceberg lettuce and broccoli
Joe LeBeau, vice president North America, IAG Cargo, said:
As a result of the poor Spanish harvest, we have seen volumes of iceberg lettuces and other fresh products flying from the West Coast of the US to the UK double over the past week, when compared to the same period last year.
Typically lettuces are originating from Northern Mexico and Arizona and are travelling through Los Angeles or Seattle airports to London Heathrow.
Read more: Rain in Spain puts Popeye workouts down the drain (i.e. spinach shortage)
IAG Cargo’s IAG Fresh service, transports fresh produce items like iceberg lettuces and a range of other fruit and veg.
It has recorded a huge rise of perishable products being transported in the week ending 28 January when compared to 2016, with 184 per cent more fresh produce flying from the West Coast of the US to the UK in that week.