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Date Published: 16/03/2022

ARCHIVED - Spanish supermarket shelves empty: transport strike and Ukraine crisis cause stock shortage

ARCHIVED ARTICLE

Government insists that supply shortages are a “hoax” and implores people in Spain not to panic buy

<span style='color:#780948'>ARCHIVED</span> - Spanish supermarket shelves empty: transport strike and Ukraine crisis cause stock shortage

Aldi in Córdoba city centre

Images of empty shelves at grocery stores in Spain are becoming more common in some areas, particularly Andalucía, where supplies of basic foodstuffs and products have been affected by a nationwide strike by transport workers and truck drivers.

In Córdoba, for example, shelves in several supermarkets in the city centre of the province’s capital have been stripped of fresh produce which hasn’t been replaced or restocked, with only certain vegetables like beetroot and broccoli remaining.

The shortages are exacerbated by the rising price of energy and fuel, which is not only one of the reasons why the truckers are striking, but is also having a knock-on effect on the cost of producing consumer goods.

However, the Spanish government has downplayed the extent of the supermarket shortages, calling many of the photos that have been circulating on social media “a hoax”. Spain’s Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas, has further called from “calm” and assured consumers that the “food supply is guaranteed”.

“We have a level of food autonomy that has allowed me to say in recent days that we have not had any problem of shortages, and this is the case despite the images appearing in the media of some cases of nervousness or possible individual hoarding actions that make no sense,” said Mr Planas.

Nonetheless, it’s undeniable that the price of certain foodstuffs in stores is already going up, and the lack of sunflower oil coming from Ukraine has meant that shops have been rationing the number of bottles that each customer can buy. This has actually been condemned as illegal, with some irate customers exploring how to take legal action against the supermarkets for trying to ration such items, but the supermarkets’ employers’ association argues that this was just a “recommendation”.

See also: Cost of bread has already gone up in Murcia due to the Ukraine invasion

It’s important to remember, though, that while supermarkets may temporarily be out of some stock, this is not a permanent situation and customers shouldn’t panic buy because this will only lead to greater scarcity and serve to drive prices up further.

Images: Tania Blanco

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