Salad shortage could last until May
California’s farmers have been plagued by drought in recent years but the problem in 2017 is too much rain. That has squeezed U. S. salad supplies and it may be several more weeks before supermarket shelves are fully stocked again.
Warmer-than-usual weather meant the winter growing season ended early in southern California and western Arizona. That was followed by heavy rain, pushing back planting in coastal regions of California, which is the largest U. S. fruit and vegetable producer.
The delays have led to shortfalls of crops including lettuce and broccoli and sent wholesale prices soaring. The cost of a carton of 30 celery heads has almost tripled since early February to $25, U.S. Department of Agriculture data show.
A carton of 36 hearts of romaine lettuce jumped to about $ 52 as of Tuesday, more than four times the cost last year. Prices may remain volatile and “relatively elevated” into mid-May, said Roland Fumasi, a senior produce analyst for Rabobank in Fresno, California.
“The harvestable crop is not at the level that it normally would have been had we not had these planting delays,” he said. “Over the coming few weeks or 30 days, the supply gaps will hopefully be less intense and maybe begin to go away.”
The West Coast is the main U.S. source of crops like leafy greens, cauliflower and broccoli at this time of year. California’s Salinas Valley, dubbed the “Salad Bowl of the World,” grows about 70 percent of the nation’s lettuce, according to the City of Salinas Economic Development Department.
Since the start of October, Salinas Municipal Airport received 16.3 inches of rain, more than four times the 30- year average, according to the National Weather Service.
Weather service meteorologist Brian Mejia said California has been inundated with a series of what are called atmospheric rivers — drenching weather systems that have helped to alleviate the dryness that previously gripped the state. The multi-year drought has been nearly erased, except for parts of Southern California.