Lettuce, other produce prices double due to wet California winter, experts say

MADISON, Wis. — Shoppers hitting the grocery store for leafy greens may have noticed higher prices recently, and experts are saying the wet weather in California is to blame.

Lettuce prices have doubled and even tripled to $5 and $6 a head in some areas.

This year’s extraordinarily wet winter has destroyed or delayed several staples of the California agriculture industry with grocery stores only getting about half the supply they typically see.

To fill the need locally, the Wisconsin Grocers Association said grocers in our area are working to source lettuce from local suppliers.

“They try and balance that loss of what they won’t get out of California with what they can find locally, but remember, everyone is in the same boat so one grocery store can’t replenish all that is lost from the California shipments,” said Brandon Scholz, president and CEO of the Wisconsin Grocers Association.

The affected farms will eventually catch up once Mother Nature gives them a chance to dry out, experts said.

It’s not just lettuce that is affected. Asparagus, broccoli and cauliflower have also doubled in price, and fruits like strawberries, blueberries and blackberries are also affected.

COPYRIGHT 2023 BY CHANNEL 3000. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.