> High temperatures and a lack of rain, followed by a period of cold weather, are being blamed for creating the “most difficult season ever,” Tim Casey, chairman of the Leek Growers Association, said.
> Suppliers have warned that shortages could last weeks as a combination of bad weather and transport problems in Africa and Europe has left some fruit and vegetables out of stock.
Right at the beginning you could say that was down to profiteering, but from what I've seen the supply network for these places flexed and was able to reconfigure a lot more quickly because it's less monolithic.
I can sympathize with supermarkets having to try and mitigate every panic buying frenzy that the media are all too willing to encourage.
I think this is more of a reflection on you than it is on frenzied buying. It's pretty easy to eat multiple cucumbers a week if you like them.
As a consequence, supermarkets have become reliant on overseas producers who, sometimes, are not able to meet demand.
People want to buy locally produced fruit and vegetables but they do not want the people who pick it to have a decent standard of living.
Also, it's worth noting that it's not uniquely British; the Irish have had the same problems.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/60111856
(source: worked as a mainframe engineer in an "Agile" team a large financial corp).