Supplies of bananas should return to normal after shoppers were left disappointed by empty shelves in some supermarkets this week, as shipments were delayed by stormy weather.
Tesco is understood to have been affected by delays to a ship transporting the fruit to the UK.
Customers took to social media to complain of empty shelves in shops and bunches of bananas being out of stock online.
One user wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday: “Yes, we have no bananas! Empty shelves at Tesco on the sun-kissed Isle of Sheppey today following the non arrival of the banana boat.”
They shared a photo of a customer notice placed on the empty shelves which said the shortage had been caused by “shipment delays”.
Another user shared a photo of empty shelves at a Tesco in Bournemouth, Dorset.
Packs of six small bananas are currently out of stock on Tesco’s website. Tesco was contacted for comment but could not be reached on Friday.
Some customers reportedly spotted shortages of the fruit in M&S, but supplies are understood to have now returned to normal.
Sainsbury’s said it checked its supplies and had no issues.
Retail insiders suggested that any shortages were temporary and not widespread, and delayed shipments were on their way again.
But experts have warned that farmers who grow the staple fruit are increasingly struggling against climate change and adverse weather conditions.
Bananas cannot be grown in the UK so must be imported from other countries such as Colombia, Costa Rica and Ecuador.
Higher temperatures along with an increased frequency and intensity of drought, floods, pests and disease have contributed to reducing banana quality and yields.
Nahuel Tunon, head of sustainable sourcing at the Fairtrade Foundation, warned that businesses need to build more resilient supply chains to avoid shortages in future.
“It is clear is that extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and severe, posing a growing threat to global food supply chains,” he said.
“At Fairtrade, we see the consequences of climate change on banana production. Farmers are battling with the growing impacts of climate change, which has resulted in unpredictable weather patterns, hurricanes and increased cases of plant diseases such as Fusarium TR4.
“All these have had a disastrous effect on banana production, making supply chains more vulnerable to disruption.
“Bananas are one of the UK’s most popular fruits, but their availability cannot be taken for granted. Unless we act now to support farmers in the face of climate change, disruptions like this will become more common.”