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<p>The UK has a highly resilient food supply chain, as demonstrated throughout the
Covid-19 response. It is well equipped to deal with situations with the potential
to cause disruption. UK consumers have access through international trade to food
products that cannot be produced here, or at least not on a year-round basis. This
supplements domestic production and also ensures that any disruption from risks such
as adverse weather or disease does not affect the UK's overall security of supply.</p><p>
</p><p>Defra has well established ways of working with the industry and across Government
to monitor risks that may arise. This includes extensive, regular and ongoing engagement
in preparedness for, and response to, issues with the potential to cause disruption
to food supply chains. We speak regularly with food industry figures, who remain confident
in the food supply chain.</p><p> </p><p>We continue to keep the market situation under
review through the UK Agriculture Market Monitoring Group, which monitors UK agricultural
markets including price, supply, inputs, trade and recent developments. Defra has
requested weekly data from supermarkets on supplies of the foods to ensure we have
the latest available data. Defra’s view is that the most effective response to food
supply disruption is industry-led, with appropriate support and enablement from HM
Government.</p><p>Recognising the importance of food security, in the Agriculture
Act 2020, the Government made a commitment to produce an assessment of our food security
at least once every three years. The first UK Food Security Report was published in
December 2021. This report will serve as an evidence base for future policy work.</p><p>
</p><p>In recent weeks some supermarkets applied item limits to a small number of
fruit and vegetables due to poor weather affecting the harvest in Spain and North
Africa, where a high proportion of produce consumed in UK at this time of year is
grown.</p><p> </p><p>Defra is closely monitoring markets and supply chains to explore
the factors that have contributed to ongoing supply chain pressures and is considering
how government and industry can work together to mitigate them, in the short and longer
term.</p><p> </p><p>Defra has requested weekly data from supermarkets on supplies
of the foods affected to ensure we have the latest available data.</p><p> </p><p>Supermarkets
are confident that supply will be back to normal by the end of this month.</p>
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