Thread: Coconut milk crisis as supermarkets run dry

Coconut milk crisis as supermarkets run dry
Harry Wallop
28 May 2011

A global shortage of coconut milk has led to empty supermarket shelves, leading to a crisis for middle-class gourmets hoping to whip up a Thai curry this weekend.

A disastrous harvest in Thailand, combined with the worldwide surge in commodity prices, has led to a sharp fall in the amount of coconuts being harvested and a significant increase in price in all related products, especially coconut milk.


James Tanner green curry recipe

The drought in coconut milk has echoes in the great fettuccine famine of 2007, caused by the spike in wheat prices, and the purple sprouting broccoli shortage earlier this year, all of which have been rude reminders to foodies about the increasing fragility of the global food chain.

Thailand, the world's biggest producer of coconut milk, was hit by a beetle infestation last year. Normally, the monsoon rains wash away the worst of the bugs, but it failed to arrive this year and coconut yields have been down by 60 per cent. The civil war in Ivory Coast, another major supplier, has exacerbated the situation.

Wholesalers and the restaurant trade have been hit for some weeks, with Leon, the upmarket takeaway chain, forced to change its menu. Now, supermarkets' supplies have been hit and stores have had either empty, or very depleted shelves. Sainsbury's this week had a sign up at many of its outlets apologising for drought, while most Waitrose shelves have been empty.

Coconut milk has become a staple in millions of foodie households in recent years, being a key ingredient in many Thai dishes, as well as south Indian cuisine. And consumers have taken to supermarket message boards to complain, with one thread on Mumsnet, the parent's social media site, talking about the "shocking" price of coconut milk.

Henry Dimbleby, the chef and co-founder of Leon, said: "It's been a nightmare. At one stage we were ringing up our suppliers on a daily basis to find out if the boat with coconut milk – which appeared to be the only one in the world – was going to land in the UK."

Robert Simon, the managing director of SPL Foods, an importer, said: "This who problem is symptomatic of the food industry in the last couple of years: food inflation being caused by a change in weather patterns.

"It is having an absolutely dramatic effect all down the supply chain from traders to restaurants and supermarket shoppers. Prices have at least doubled."

He estimated that the wholesale price for a standard 400ml can of basic coconut milk had increased from 25p to 54p. On supermarket shelves, depending on the quality it varies between 74p and £2 a tin.

Coconut milk is made form the flesh of the fruit itself, sometimes mixed with water.

Making the shortage worse has been the surge in palm oil prices, which has forced some industrial users of oil – in the toiletries business for instance – to switch to coconuts.

telegraph.co.uk

have noticed a shortage for some time