Empty supermarket shelves: food shortages in Spain due to carrier strike

March 23, MINSK. Spain is facing severe food and material disruptions across the economy due to a carriers' strike, which is in its fifth day, La Razon newspaper reported.

There are empty shelves in supermarkets: there is no MILK, sunflower oil, some vegetables and fruits, fish, FLOUR and rice. Store owners don't know when they can restock needed groceries. Owners of some supermarkets in Madrid have said their milk supplies will run out this Friday, March 25th, so shoppers will face even more shortages over the weekend. The most affected areas due to the strike were Andalusia, Galicia, Asturias and Castile-La Mancha, where vegetables, milk , seafood and MEAT come from. it is noted that the food industry has already suffered losses in the amount of 650 million euros.

Truck downtime this week has pushed farms to the brink of bankruptcy. Many of them were forced to stop their activities due to the lack of raw materials, packaging and the impossibility of selling finished products. Also, the owners of the hotel business complained that due to the strike, the income of bars and restaurants has seriously fallen.

The Alliance for the Competitiveness of Spanish Industry said the stoppage of carriers has created serious problems in maintaining production activities and the free movement of goods, leading to costly plant shutdowns. This crisis has also spread to the construction and concrete sectors.

Food shortages are also observed in a number of countries in the European Union. For example, the inhabitants of Germany faced a shortage of products such as flour and vegetable oils. According to the Stern portal, now sunflower, rapeseed or linseed oil can be bought no more than two, and in some cases no more than four bottles in one hand, such restrictions have been introduced by stores. In addition to the high price, the number of these products in stores is limited.

The citizens of Lithuania also felt the shortage of food. According to the MIR 24 TV channel, store shelves in Lithuania are empty: there is no SALT, flour or buckwheat. The reason for the shortage was the rapid rise in food and fuel prices due to the sanctions imposed against Moscow and Minsk and the ongoing events in Ukraine.