Poor growing conditions in Spain have hit the British consumer as vegetable prices have shot up and rationing has been introduced by some UK supermarkets.
Tesco and Morrisons have both imposed limits on the amount of iceberg lettuce and broccoli which customers may purchase.
One notice in Tesco read: "Due to continued weather problems in Spain there is a shortage of iceberg lettuce.
"To protect the availability to all our customers, we are limiting bulk purchases to three per person. We apologise for any inconvenience caused."
Morrisons said that “most customers do not buy more than three broccoli at as time” but it had experienced bulk buying due to shortages in other outlets.
Asda said courgette and aubergine stocks were still low after a UK shortage last month due to the weather.
Southern Spain, particularly south-eastern Murcia, provides around 80% of the fresh produce for all of the EU out of season.
Growers in Spain have had to contend with severe weather when floods in December damaged crops and left the soil too wet for fresh planting. A further assault came from a harsh cold snap in January which struck across Portugal, Spain and Italy damaging fruit production.
The UK imports an estimated 50% of its vegetables and 90% of its fruit. The sudden shortages have left it, and other European countries, importing some items from California instead of Europe, resulting in higher prices.
Philippe Binard, of Freshfel Europe which represents the fresh produce industry, said the problems hitting vegetable production had left the yield of courgettes, aubergines, tomatoes, broccoli and peppers from Spain down by about 25%. Spinach and cabbage crops have also been reduced.
