Courgette shortage sparks social media storm

The shortage was blamed on bad weather in southern Spain, where most of the UK’s winter fruit and vegetables are grown.

Twitter users reported empty shelves at their local supermarkets, as online retailers listed courgette products as out of stock.

First #Brexit, then #Trump, and now what appears to be a national courgette shortage! What is this waking nightmare? #nothinglefttoliveforpic.twitter.com/HhvWvpscMD

— Rob Rhys Hughes (@RobRhysHughes) January 16, 2017

Shock and disbelief ​

Many users have expressed shock and disbelief that the big four retailers could run out of the vegetable.

Interest in the story dramatically increased following shares of The Guardian’s ​report on the shortage. The story has had more than 500 shares.

Some social media users have suggested that dieters were the real cause of the courgette famine, as health conscious consumers had snapped up the vegetable to make “courgetti” ​– courgette spaghetti.

Is there a courgette shortage? I think the courgetti obsession is raging out of control!!!

— reallyree.com (@ReallyRee) January 16, 2017

However, not all users were upset by the lack of the summer squash.

Return of seasonal vegetables​

While some users expressed their disgust of courgettes, others called the shortage a call for the return of seasonal fruit and vegetables in the UK.

A courgette 'famine' is hitting UK according to #Today. Boo-hoo. Eat seasonally: have sprouts.

— Linda MacDonald (@LindaMac1) January 17, 2017

A number of Twitter users joked that the courgette “crisis” ​had become a bigger topic for debate than Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit speech – setting out her plans for quitting the EU.

You can read The Guardian’s ​full report here.​

Meanhwile, the courgette famine is the latest in a series of reports warning of shortages affecting particular food items.

Global stocks of Salmon have declined for the first time in six years, following an infestation of sea lice. Severe flooding has decimated vegetable crops in Spain, with shortages in lettuces, broccoli and citrus fruits.