In an attempt to prevent the spread of a new, more transmissible strain of the COVID-19 virus in the United Kingdom, harsher lockdowns have been imposed on the public, the food supply chain is at serious risk of breaking.
The people in the UK have used the government to make sure the supply networks stay operational, while the French government suspended all travel from the UK for 48 hours from 11 p.m. on Sunday night (midnight Paris time), including travel linked to goods transport by road, air, sea, or rail.
This could result in a serious problem with obtaining food for those stuck in the UK, unable to flee.
Sainsbury’s, one of the UK’s biggest supermarkets, said it had plenty of food items in stock for Christmas, and was also sourcing products in the UK and looking into alternative transport for products sourced from Europe. However, “if nothing changes, we will start to see gaps over the coming days on lettuce, some salad leaves, cauliflowers, broccoli, and citrus fruit—all of which are imported from the Continent at this time of year,” it said in a statement emailed to The Epoch Times.
“We hope the UK and French governments can come to a mutually agreeable solution that prioritises the immediate passage of produce and any other food at the ports.”
UK business groups have also raised concerns to the government.
The British Retail Consortium (BRC) said the border closure “poses difficulties for UK capacity to import and export key goods during the busy Christmas period.
Talking to the BBC on Monday morning, UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said he was working with his French counterpart to resolve the blockade. “The shops are well stocked. So in the short term, the next 48 hours or so, this is not an issue in terms of supply, but we’re very, very keen to get it resolved,” he told BBC Radio 4’s “Today” programme.
