After five years of statewide drought, crop plantings in California have been delayed by too much rain, causing prices to rise. Some industry experts think prices could stay high until mid-May.
The delays “have led to shortfalls of crops including lettuce and broccoli and sent wholesale prices soaring,” says Bloomberg News. “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 April 18, more than four times the cost last year.”
California’s Salinas Valley, considered the “Salad Bowl of the United States,” produces about 70 percent of the country’s lettuce. “Since the start of October, Salinas Municipal Airport received 16.3 inches (41.5 centimeters) of rain, more than four times the 30-year average, according to the National Weather Service,” says Bloomberg.