Dutch supermarkets are feeling the impact of the extreme and prolonged rainfall in southern Spain and Morocco as the import of soft fruit stagnates.

Albert Heijn has let its customers know that the availability of soft fruit such as blueberries, raspberries and strawberries will be limited, as well as some legumes, tomatoes and some herbs.

Jumbo and Plus supermarkets are also experiencing supply problems. “We are expecting the problems to continue this week and the next. We do have enough soft fruit in stock from Dutch growers,” a Jumbo spokesman told the AD.

Andalucia in the south of Spain and parts of Morocco have been experiencing heavy rainfall for weeks, which has resulted in the loss of 20% of the total strawberry production.

Three-quarters of agricultural yields in Andalucia have been affected, taking the damage to an estimated €3 billion. Olive growers have also been severely affected, as have livestock farmers unable to transport milk because of damage to roads and tracks.

In the Sierra de Grazalema, traditionally already the rainiest part of Spain, the village of Grazalema bore the brunt of the downpours. The rains caused the underground aquifers to flood, prompting the evacuation of all of its 2,000 inhabitants.

In Morocco, tens of thousands of people had to leave their homes because of flooding. Fresh fruit imports from the country were halted because of storms in the Strait of Gibraltar. Those have now died down and transport links have been restored.

The Greenery, one of the biggest international fruit and veg traders, said the effects of the bad weather are noticeable but not major.

“In winter, when we can’t grow produce here, we count on Spain and Morocco. We see the climate there is changing and that is going to have an impact on food production in the whole of Europe. It’s something to consider,” a spokesman for the company told the paper.

Trade will focus more on Dutch produce, he said. “But, on the other hand, climate change will also impact the Netherlands. We can manage it to an extent because much of the produce grows in greenhouses. But for crops grown outside, we most definitely depend on the weather,” he said.