2010 United States tomato shortage
Encyclopedia
The 2010 United States tomato shortage was a shortage of tomatoes in the United States
between March and April 2010 caused by unseasonably cold weather in Florida
in January 2010 which destroyed 60-70% of the state's tomato crop. There was also a shortage of tomatoes over the new year holiday, caused by the Californian harvest finishing before the Florida harvest began.
The shortage caused several fast food chains to stop offering tomatoes unless requested and supermarkets rationed their supplies.
Prices for tomatoes in the Eastern United States reached prices several times the cost prior to the crop loss. Wholesale prices rose from around $7 for a 25 lb box to $30. During the shortage, more tomatoes were imported from Canada
and Mexico
.
The total cost of the cold weather to Florida tomato producers was approximately $150 million, according to USDA calculations.
The tomato shortage came to an end around late April 2010, as crops had recovered.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
between March and April 2010 caused by unseasonably cold weather in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
in January 2010 which destroyed 60-70% of the state's tomato crop. There was also a shortage of tomatoes over the new year holiday, caused by the Californian harvest finishing before the Florida harvest began.
The shortage caused several fast food chains to stop offering tomatoes unless requested and supermarkets rationed their supplies.
Prices for tomatoes in the Eastern United States reached prices several times the cost prior to the crop loss. Wholesale prices rose from around $7 for a 25 lb box to $30. During the shortage, more tomatoes were imported from Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
.
The total cost of the cold weather to Florida tomato producers was approximately $150 million, according to USDA calculations.
The tomato shortage came to an end around late April 2010, as crops had recovered.