Canada: Higher prices fruits & veg
According to a recent report commissioned by Vancity, about 67 per cent of B.C.’s vegetable imports come from the United States, including 74 per cent of all lettuce and more than 90 per cent of all broccoli.
Food prices across most categories were up between six and 10 per cent last year, a situation that will only be exacerbated by the dropping dollar, according to the author of Wake up Call, Brent Mansfield, director of the BC Food Systems Network.
Until late this summer, rising prices were being driven by scarcity due to long-term drought in California, which has been felt equally by Americans and Canadians.
Canadian imports of fresh foods peak during the winter and early spring, according to another recent report by researchers at the University of Guelph. They predict fruits and nuts will rise in price by up to three per cent and vegetables by up to five per cent in 2015.
Source: edmontonjournal.com
