Jason Moore05/02/2017 00:00
TW
5

It is amazing how a small thing like a lettuce gets you thinking. There is no shortage of Spanish iceberg lettuces in Spain but in Britain they are being rationed. Now, the official version is that the bad weather has hit crops in Spain and hence the shortage. As we all know the weather over the last few months across Spain has been particularly horrible and even farmers on the island are concerned about their crops. But we are all eating salad here. This state of affairs illustrates just how important trade deals are. It is probably not the case at all, but if Britain and the EU drag their feet, could it mean that Spanish lettuces are not available in Britain in big volumes like they are at the moment? (Well, before rationing!).

Is this a wake-up call for what is in store for Britain or is it just a case of bad weather and bad luck? I stick with the official line but in a Europe when everyone is talking trade deals it just makes you ponder the issue slightly more. You see, Britain imports far more from the European Union than it exports. The Spanish government is seriously concerned about Brexit because it is not just a question of "expat Brits" and "expat Spaniards" it is also a case of lettuces.

Now, Britain will make a trade deal with the European bloc, not with individual countries. There might be smaller deals with individuals countries but no one is talking Britain signing trade deals with all the European countries. Britain can easily find another market for its lettuces and Spanish farmers are in the same boat. But is the Spanish lettuce putting Brexit in its proper context? New markets may need to be found. Brexit means Brexit, but what about our lettuces? You see the sad state of affairs is that Britain produces little and relies heavily on foreign imports. In the long run it is a good thing because everyone wants a slice of the action, but in the short term it could cause a big crunch.