Food shortage pinches Britons as 'one in six' claims products not available

Around one in six Britons were not able to buy essential food items at some point during the past two weeks due to products not being available, as per a recent survey, a day before the UK government announced the temporary visa for 5,000 heavy goods vehicle (HGV) drivers while another 5,500 visas would be issued to poultry workers to tackle the acute shortage in the country.

While around six in 10 (61 per cent) said everything they needed was available to buy, 18 per cent said they had not been able to find essential foods they needed on a regular basis, says the recent survey by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) conducted between September 8 and 19 from a sample of more than 3,500 adults.

While about a quarter of people (25 per cent) reported they had not found other non-essential food items, a smaller proportion said they had not been able to buy medicine (4 per cent) or fuel (4 per cent), as per the ONS survey.

Almost 40 per cent of people found lesser variety in the shops than usual, while 20 per cent reported that items they needed were not available and they could not find a replacement.

Around one in eight (13 per cent) said they had to go to more shops than usual to get what they needed.

The empty shelves in supermarkets and stores have become more common in Britain lately which seems to be in line with the prediction made by various business leaders who had claimed that heavy good vehicle (HGV) drivers shortage, if not tackled immediately, will lead to severe supply disruptions in the country.

The UK’s Road Haulage Association (RHA) says Britain is facing a shortage of some 100,000 drivers, a result of workers leaving the industry, Brexit and the pandemic, which put a stop to driver training and testing for about a year.

As per the latest announcement, some 5,000 heavy goods vehicle (HGV) drivers would be able to come to Britain under temporary visas, while another 5,500 visas would be issued to poultry workers “to avoid any potential further pressures on the food industry”. These short-term visas, which the government had previously rejected introducing despite calls from retail and logistics companies, will expire on Dec 24.