Lettuce, other crops increasing in price
By David Pierson, Los Angeles Times
Heavy rains and persistent heat in the Eastern U.S. have devastated that region’s lettuce crop. So buyers are turning to America’s salad bowl: California.
Growers in the Golden State are seeing wholesale prices for their leafy greens and other vegetables soar because of demand on the other side of the nation.
Iceberg lettuce is leading the charge, with shipments going for double the price of a year ago at about $22 for a standard carton of 24 heads, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Prices for broccoli, cauliflower and spinach are also on the rise.