LONDON, Sept. 1 -- UK cabinet minister Michael Gove's remarks that a no-deal Brexit wouldn't result in food shortages was met with criticism from industry bodies on Sunday, which said it is impossible to mitigate fully as neither retailers nor consumers can stockpile fresh foods.
Gove, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show that "everyone will have the food they need" in the event of a no-deal Brexit, though some food prices would increase. Gove's comments came as the UK launched the largest ever government public information campaign, "Get Ready for Brexit", to get public and business owners ready for UK's exit from the EU.
Responding to Gove's remarks, a spokesperson for the British Retail Consortium (BRC) said: "It is categorically untrue that the supply of fresh food will be unaffected under a no-deal Brexit. The retail industry has been crystal clear in its communications with government over the past 36 months that the availability of fresh foods will be impacted as a result of checks and delays at the border."
The BRC's own assessment has shown that soft fruits and vegetables, such as strawberries, tomatoes and lettuces, would likely see reduced availability as they are largely imported during the winter months, the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said a no-deal Brexit in October would present "the worst of all worlds" for the high streets and those who shop there, because retailers will be preparing for Christmas, stretching already limited warehousing capacity, and the UK will be importing the majority of its fresh food from the EU, magnifying the impact of border delays."
According to the Financial Times, the Food and Drink Federation also expressed similar concerns, saying a no-deal Brexit will have a major impact on the availability of fresh food and drink, particularly fruit and vegetables.
The UK government research shows that only 50 percent of the population think it's likely the UK will leave the EU on Oct. 31, 42 percent of small-to-medium sized businesses are unsure of how they can get ready and just 31 percent of the British public have looked for information on how to prepare for Brexit.