Shoppers may find slimmer pickings in the produce aisle next week as grocers attempt to work around temporary shipping challenges.

The container ship Oleander is expected to miss one voyage to undergo repairs after encountering a mechanical fault earlier this week, while weather has sparked some shipping delays.

Zach Moniz, the manager of the Lindo’s Group of Companies, said that while the stores had recently received a shipment and were well stocked, a combination of recent storms and the breakdown of the Oleander had created a “double whammy” for grocers.

“The hurricanes delayed the Islander voyage for last Thursday. That arrived on Monday,” he said. “Then we had the Oleander delayed and it’s missing it’s next voyage.

“It’s a nuisance for us. It’s a logistical nightmare.

“It’s not unusual this time of year with hurricanes, or even sometimes with winter storms. This year it’s just a little different because the Islander was delayed and then the Oleander delayed.”

Mr Moniz said the stock of most products would not be impacted. However, some produce could become harder to find in the middle of next week as businesses wait for fresh shipments.

“I imagine that by next Wednesday or Thursday things will get a little thin in produce,” he said. “Some vendors have opted to fly stuff in.”

The 8,300-tonne Oleander ran into difficulties after it left New Jersey on Friday.

An on-board technical team was able to identify the fault and Oleander was eventually able to make it to Bermuda on Tuesday afternoon, a day after its scheduled arrival.

While necessary repairs meant the ship would miss one voyage, Richard Todd, chief operating officer of the Neptune Group, said yesterday that works to ready the Oleander were going smoothly.

“She will be back on schedule next week,” he said.