In the supermarkets of Quebec, vegetable prices are soaring. This is due to the weather! From November until June, 60% of the fruits and vegetables sold in supermarkets come from abroad, mostly from the United-States and Mexico.
“There’s been a lot of rain and cold in the US, with temperatures at night between 32 and 50°F, so this affected productions considerably, such as the cauliflower, broccoli, bell peppers, lettuce and tomatoes,” explained Carl Drouin, wholesaler at FLB Solutions Alimentaires.
In order to compensate for the American production problems, wholesalers have sometimes had to turn to Europe. Unfortunately, the Canadian dollar is very low compared to the euro, which made the import bill quite high.
Consumers may be at the losing end of these high vegetable prices, but they are not alone. Retailers must also absorb some losses.
Source: Le Journal de Montreal