US: Lettuce prices likely to rise again amid California flooding, experts say

Published 2023년 3월 30일

Tridge summary

Severe flooding in the Salinas Valley, a major lettuce production area in California, is expected to cause a significant increase in lettuce prices next month, potentially maintaining high prices through the summer. The flooding, coupled with below-average temperatures, has led to extensive crop damage and delays in planting. This situation is exacerbated by previous disease outbreaks in the region's lettuce crops, which have already resulted in severe shortages and high prices. John Bishop, a produce distributor, and Mark Shaw, from a cooperative, highlight the serious impact of the extreme weather and cold temperatures on farmers in the area.

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Original content

Lettuce prices are likely to rise next month and could stay high deep into the summer, agriculture experts say. The flooding in a key California farming area becomes the latest example of extreme weather’s effect on the food chain. The Salinas Valley, where a vast amount of lettuce and other produce eaten in North America is grown every year, has seen severe rain and storms since the beginning of the year, said John Bishop, national buyer for produce distributor Fresh Start Foods. All that extra water has flooded fields and delayed planting, Bishop said, causing hundreds of thousands of dollars in crop damage. “It’s been very concerning,” he said. Tens of thousands of acres of farmland have flooded in Salinas since the beginning of the year, Mark Shaw, vice president of operations for California-based Markon Cooperative, said in an email. Below-average temperatures are adding to farmers’ struggles, he added. Salinas is the same region where ...

Source: Hortidaily