Salads Are About To Get A Lot More Expensive

If you’re a big fan of eating crunchy, healthy salads for lunch, listen up. That bowl of lettuce is about to get a lot more expensive.

Prices for lettuce, broccoli and other salad ingredients are rising due to all the rain California is getting this spring. Of course, the much-needed rains follow five years of drought, so this is otherwise very good news for the so-called “Salad Bowl” region.

At one popular California grocery store, the retail price for a head of organic lettuce has increased $1 since January, while a pound of broccoli has gone up from $1.68 in January to $2.99 today. And that doesn’t account for the fact that the grocery store is eating some of the cost increase and making smaller margins as a result.

Wet Winter And Spring

The wholesale price of California lettuce has risen sixfold already this year, while the wholesale price of broccoli has quadrupled.

California produces 94 percent of the country’s broccoli and 76 percent of its lettuce, so you’ll likely be feeling these price hikes at your grocery store, no matter where you live.

So, what’s the reason behind the price increase? A drop in supply of veggies. The wet winter and spring disrupted farmers’ planting schedules, which caused them to fall behind. It also caused some issues with plant diseases. Beyond that, April’s rains have slowed down the harvest process in some areas.

It’s not just lettuce and broccoli, either.

Other Foods With Rising Prices Include:

• Avocados
• Blueberries
• Celery
• Cilantro
• Garlic
• Lemons
• Asparagus