Elderly and poor consumers will be in the firing line of no-deal Brexit food shortages, industry leaders warned ministers today.
Giving evidence to the International Trade Select Committee, FDF chief executive Ian Wright said communities most reliant on convenience stores and in remote areas were facing months of shortages, which would disproportionately hit the most disadvantaged.
Wright said as well as price increases of “mid-single digits”, the FDF expected disruption to the supply chain of up to three months in the event of a no-deal.
He added: “If the period of disruption is two to three months as has been predicted, supply chains will resort to focusing on where they can get food to most efficiently.
“The geographic extremities will be hit the worst.
“Somewhere like Lowestoft, for example, will be hit disproportionately.”
“Areas which are served mainly by convenience stores will be disproportionately hit and these are the areas where there are relatively high proportions of older people and poorer people.”
The FDF boss repeated his call for new PM Boris Johnson to avoid a no-deal, saying the latest polling by the FDF showed 80% of its members would be in favour of Johnson instead revoking Article 50.
And he also urged the PM to avoid a night of the long knives at Defra and keep environment secretary Michael Gove in his post.
“I don’t agree with Michael Gove on almost anything but he gets the point on Brexit,” said Wright. “We simply can’t afford to spend the next three months explaining to a new set of ministers the crisis this industry is facing because of Brexit.”
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