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Lufthansa transports 80 tonnes of fruit and vegetables to help restock UK supermarket shelves amid fears that lifting the French blockade will not prevent shortages in stores.
The German airline said it was carrying a cargo of lettuce, cauliflower, broccoli, strawberries and citrus fruits, and was considering additional special cargo flights to meet demand.
He said a B777 cargo plane would arrive at Doncaster Sheffield Airport at lunchtime on Wednesday.
The flight comes as supermarkets and their suppliers scramble to find alternative ways to store shelves while thousands of trucks and vans remain stranded outside of Dover.
Retailers warned on Tuesday that vehicles would have to start moving in 24 hours or there would be a shortage of fresh produce such as lettuce, tomatoes, citrus and berries and cauliflower in stores starting December 27.
Andrew Opie, director of food and sustainability at the British Retail Consortium, said Wednesday that there could still be problems in stores despite the lifting of the lockdown.
“This is good news for consumers as the French borders have been reopened, however it is essential that trucks cross the border as quickly as possible. Until the backlog is removed and supply chains return to normal, we anticipate problems with the availability of some fresh produce, ”he said.
The Road Transport Association (RHA) now estimates that up to 1,000 more trucks and thousands of small vans are waiting to cross the English Channel after a two-day French ban on the arrival of goods from the UK.
The trade body said it could take several days to clear the backlog because the Dover port area was in “stagnation.” “This will be a long process that will not take hours but days,” said a spokesman. “Nothing moves.”
Food transport groups have warned that a potential disruption could not only lead to supply problems after Christmas, but also serious problems in January as the end of the Brexit transition nears.
It is expected to take days to clear vehicle backlog, despite the lifting of the travel ban, as drivers must undergo Covid tests before they can enter France.
The Department of Transportation said testing of the drivers on the M20 and waiting in an emergency parking lot at Manston Airport had begun with the help of the military.
On Wednesday, irate truckers clashed with police and honked their horns in protest. Police said there had been riots in Dover and Manston “involving people waiting to cross the Channel” and an arrest had been made.
The RHA urged all delivery drivers not yet in Kent to stay away until the situation improves.
While some fresh food shelves could look empty in the coming days, retailers urged shoppers not to panic when shopping. They said there would still be plenty of food as traditional Christmas food such as potatoes, carrots, Brussels sprouts and parsnips were largely grown in the UK and there were many supplies of long-lasting products such as canned and packaged foods.
