Dive Brief:
- Broccoli prices have tripled on lower crop yields in California and a hurricane that damaged the Mexican crop.
- 20-pound cartons of the vegetable are being offered at $32 to $35. In July, the wholesale price was just $7.65 to $10.48.
- Prices hit the $20 level on news that California's harvest would prove disappointing. The arrival of Hurricane Manuel and other foul weather in Mexico have sent prices even higher.
Dive Insight:
This is bad news for those of us who love broccoli. And there's nothing to be done about it. Prices will remain high at wholesale and retail for quite some time yet. The next major crop—grown in the deserts of California and Mexico—doesn't go into production for several weeks.
