Brexit: all those empty supermarket shelves, not! But what's this I hear about bananas! (4k)

As I wander around my local supermarket, it looks much the same as it did last year. But I'm not sure about the banana situation.

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Brexit: all those empty supermarket shelves, not! But what's this I hear about bananas!

All that foretelling of Brexit doom and gloom, with images being conjured up of people engaged in pitched battles in supermarkets for the last bog roll and tin of baked beans.

But I am a regular user of four supermarkets in my local area, and they all look as well stocked as they were at any time in the past.

Lots of meat, eggs, fruit and veg and other items like milk, shampoo, and hand lotions.

And the only time I saw empty shelves was when the COVID-19 panic buyers were out in force.

So, the supermarket buyers are still able to source the goods locally and from abroad. But there is the question of bananas from Ghana, which I'll come on to.

Now, the new Irish Sea border between Great Britain and Northern Ireland - yes there is one whatever the UK government tries to tell you - that border has thrown up some problems and, initially there were reports of empty supermarket shelves in Northern Irish shops.

But, after a quick internet search, most of the stories now appear to be a couple of weeks old and the PM, Boris Johnson, and his team are assuring us that all is getting back to near normal in Northern Ireland.

Now, I'm not claiming all is sweetness and light, but it appears progress is being made on normalising the situation.

But with Chris Slowey, the managing director of Manfreight saying that although supermarket shelves were well-stocked, consumers in Northern Ireland might see price rises and less choice.

And also that, while his lorries leave Northern Ireland full, many return empty due to firms in Great Britain reducing the amount of goods they send to Northern Ireland.

The stories emerging from the fish trade is that the French border officials are doing all they can to delay time-sensitive fish products to make them worthless in transit.

Writing in the Mail, David Jones says:

"French customs officials' post-Brexit dirty tricks on British fish are revealed:

"Lorries are being impounded because a full-stop is misplaced or a box's declared weight is a kilo out."

And he tells us about Brixham port fish exporter, Tim Perkes, who would normally snap up cuttlefish to whizz over to the EU and sell for a nice profit.

But says the author:

"Since January 1, however, when cynical French customs officials began using every rule in the Brussels bureaucratic book to delay British fish entering the EU, he hasn't bought a single box."

And it turns out that the French like to keep the produce on hold for the most minor of reasons they can find.

These officials need to be brought to heel by their bosses, but one wonders if their bosses are actually encouraging them.

Now to bananas from Ghana.

The Independent reports that:

"At least £100,000 of tariffs have been slapped on Fairtrade bananas from Africa because of Brexit, prompting mounting anger that farmers face ruin."

Now, the UK and Ghana had been in talks at the end of last year to roll over the terms of the deal we had once the Brexit Implementation Period ended.

But it wasn't until the 31st of December, the last gasp as it were, that according to the Department for International Trade the UK and Ghana:

"... reached a consensus on the main elements of a new trade agreement. This provides the basis to replicate, the effects of the existing trade relationship between the UK and Ghana ..."

Banana Link quotes the managing director of Volta River Estates Limited, Huub van den Broek, saying:

"It is obvious that Volta River Estates Limited cannot survive this increase in duties, not even in the short term." Adding "this is happening at the same time that we agreed with the unions to increase the salaries towards the Fairtrade base rate starting in January 2021."

Come on Boris Johnson and Liz Truss - we've got a deal in the pot so waive those tariffs. We are not overzealous EU officials. Let's be better than this.

4k. 4k video.

#Brexit

#EmptyShelves

#Bananas

Видео Brexit: all those empty supermarket shelves, not! But what's this I hear about bananas! (4k) канала Jeff Taylor