Possible Clues:

• Spares are few and far between
• Boxes and case ultimately not packed together
• Poles and European Union not close together
• Article in press surprisingly thinly based
• Pears and small bananas in short supply
• Thin on the ground, scarce
• Even with yards on board 'e may be few and far between
• Hardly abundant
• Scarce, thin on the ground
• Meagre, scanty