After a shortage and high prices, there is now a surplus tomato crop. According to the Associated Press, “cold temperatures in January and February killed many tomato plants and caused a shortage that pushed the average wholesale price of winter tomatoes to $30 for a 25-pound box by early March. Grocery stores raised their prices in turn, with some charging nearly $4 a pound.”
According to the Wall Street Journal “in California, harvest time is arriving just as tomato growers in other parts of the U.S. are reeling from a sudden supply glut that is pushing the price for fresh tomatoes sharply lower.
Food banks and other organizations are reaping the benefits of the bargain tomatoes, but farmers are trying to break even. The USDA recently announced that “it would order an additional 31.5 million pounds at a cost of $6 million to help farmers and provide additional produce through federal food assistance programs.”
To read the AP story, click here.
To read the Wall Street Journal article, click here.
Posted: 06/17/2010
