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  "path": "/news/iran-latest-supermarket-shelves-empty-britain-fruit-vegetable-growers",
  "publishedAt": "2026-03-15T12:51:20.000Z",
  "site": "https://www.gbnews.com",
  "tags": [
    "Renovators shocked after discovering Roman well while restoring historic building",
    "WW1 war medals MELTED DOWN by scrap dealers for quick cash as price of silver surges",
    "Labour MP handed GB News grilling for defending Keir Starmer's 'swift action' on Peter Mandelson",
    "The GB News Editorial Charter"
  ],
  "textContent": "\n\n\nBritain's fruit and vegetable growers have warned soaring energy and transportation costs caused by the war in Iran could leave supermarket shelves bare.\n\nGrowers’ associations across the country have raised concerns they may be forced to end their season early, with some comparing the situation to Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nLee Stiles, secretary of the Lea Valley Growers Association (LVGA), said: \"Growers are in the same position now as they were when Russia invaded Ukraine, because the wholesale gas prices are creeping up.\"\n\nThe LGVA represents 70 glasshouse growers across the UK, and produces around 75 per cent of Britain's cucumbers, sweet peppers & aubergines.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nTRENDING\n\nStories\n\nVideos\n\nYour Say\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nMr Stiles added: \"With rising costs, many growers are thinking they might as well send the staff home, stop for the season and not produce anything.\n\n\"They're going to have to make a decision in the next few weeks as to whether or not it’s going to be economic to continue for the rest of the year.\"\n\nThe rising costs to heat glasshouses could lead to crops struggling to grow, subsequently reducing yields significantly.\n\n\"Back in 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine, we ended up with empty shelves in the supermarkets,\" Mr Stiles continued.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n\"The supermarkets agreed a fixed price with growers last year. They can intervene now if they wish and agree to pay more for the produce because of the increased cost of production.\n\n\"But it looks as though they’re prepared to have empty shelves again and reduced availability.\"\n\nIn 2022, shelves were left so depleted that major supermarkets were forced to limit the amount of cooking oil people could buy.\n\nMeanwhile, Rachel Williams, from the West Sussex Growers Association, which represents a network of over 50 members based in and around Chichester, revealed that \"everybody's obviously worried\".\n\n### LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:\n\n\n\n\n  * Renovators shocked after discovering Roman well while restoring historic building\n  * WW1 war medals MELTED DOWN by scrap dealers for quick cash as price of silver surges\n  * Labour MP handed GB News grilling for defending Keir Starmer's 'swift action' on Peter Mandelson\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n\"They are worried about what will happen, how it will develop, and the uncertainty of it all,\" she said.\n\nThe rise in transportation costs, input costs, supply chain disruption and cost of heating glasshouses are very concerning, Ms Williams explained.\n\n\"On the transport cost, red diesel has gone up by more than 50 per cent in just 10 days, that’s huge for open field growers using tractors too,\" she said.\n\nWith oil prices levelling out at over $100 per barrel, and red diesel prices soaring from 79.44 pence per litre on March 1 to 131.26 pence per litre by March 12, according to BoilerJuice, the comparisons to 2022 have become very real.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nThe National Farmers’ Union (NFU) met with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs earlier this month to discuss urgent farming issues caused by the conflict in Iran.\n\nNFU president Tom Bradshaw said: \"We’ve already seen this situation play out with the Russian invasion of Ukraine which drove an ongoing cost-of-living crisis here. And, with the removal of farm support which added a layer of resilience for many farm businesses, farmers are more exposed than ever to global markets.\n\n\"While the impact on food production and food price inflation will depend on what happens over the coming weeks, it is yet another sobering reminder of the need to build resilience in UK farming.\"\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n**\n**\n\n**\n**\n\n**Our Standards:The GB News Editorial Charter**",
  "title": "Supermarket shelves could soon be empty, Britain's fruit and vegetable growers warn"
}