Poor catch slows Portuguese sardines

Poor fishing has caused shipment delays of Portuguese sardines. Morocco, however, is keeping up with demand, which traditionally falls off at this time of the year. Moroccan producers have access to better quality frozen fish and, over the years, they have improved handling methods and produced a canned product acceptable to UK customers. There have been reports of some UK-produced sardines being offered, but so far none have appeared on British retailers' shelves. Olive oil prices, which rose steeply a few months ago, have often been cited as one reason forcanners to solicit higher packed prices. {{PROVISIONS }}