Produce Prices Still Suffering From the Cold

The freeze that marched through California’s agricultural heartland in December is taking a heavy toll on the state’s grocery shoppers, more than doubling the price for a range of fruits and vegetables and driving consumers away.

A four-pound bag of Valencia oranges, normally around 89 cents, is now $2.49. A pound of large tomatoes that generally costs 98 cents now sells for up to $1.89. Cold weather destroyed early broccoli plantings, pushing the vegetable’s price from 69 cents a pound to $1.49 a pound as recently as five days ago.

“Through the whole 15 years I’ve been with the Boys, I’ve never seen prices this high,” said one produce clerk at the Boys market in the Crenshaw District. “I think it’s a combination of the freeze and the drought.”

High prices were not the only problem caused by the Arctic Express. Navel oranges cannot be found on grocery shelves, and some produce shows signs of freeze damage: burned leaves, scarring, small size. As a result, consumption of California fruits and vegetables throughout the state and in much of the rest of the country has cooled off.

Karen McFall, a Los Angeles Tupperware dealer and mother of two, said she has stopped buying most produce. She spends $110 on groceries each week and cannot afford the extra expense, she said.

“For the good stuff, the things people live on, they should make them less expensive,” McFall said. “They make it so outrageous; it’s hard to live healthy.”

Ironically, signs exhorting shoppers to buy and eat more fruits and vegetables are sharing space in local markets with more somber signs that have sprouted since the freeze. Management at a Tianguis market in Los Angeles recently posted this apology:

“To our valued customers: We are sorry for the temporary high prices on some vegetables and citrus fruits. This situation was caused by the recent freeze suffered throughout California.”

Thomas Karst, markets editor at the Packer, a weekly trade paper for the produce industry, underscored how important California’s $17.6-billion agriculture industry is to shoppers nationwide--and how traumatic it can be to consumer prices when California agriculture suffers.

“For oranges, (the freeze) affects the whole country,” Karst said. “All the states buy from California. It does have an impact nationwide. With broccoli and cauliflower, California dominates them to such a degree that what happens here is going to impact consumers in other states.”

But the good news for McFall and shoppers like her is that the effects of the freeze should start to dissipate by the end of the month. California is the nation’s No. 1 broccoli producer and suffered enough damage during the two-week freeze to require extensive replanting. The new crop is beginning to appear in markets throughout the country, and prices are beginning to drop. Broccoli cost upwards of 99 cents a pound Friday, down from $1.49 just days earlier.

The bad news comes from the orange crop. Agricultural economists figure that at least half of the Valencia and navel crops were destroyed when temperatures plummeted into the low 20s. Navel oranges have disappeared from the shelves, and Valencias have doubled in price.

“Right now, we’re into Florida Valencias, which is typical for this time of year,” said Roger Schroeder, vice president for produce at Hughes Markets Inc. “You’re going to see the price go even higher this summer,” as the extent of the damage to the California crop shows up on grocery shelves.

Tomatoes and limes are showing significantly increased prices, also. Large beefsteak-type tomatoes generally sell for about 90 cents per pound this time of year; depending on the market, such tomatoes now sell for as high as $1.89 a pound. Limes, generally six to 10 for a dollar, are selling for up to 39 cents each, a nearly fourfold increase.

Tomato prices are escalating because of recent cold weather in Florida, which vies with California and Mexico as a winter vegetable provider. Lime prices are higher because of unseasonal weather in Mexico.

“I don’t think we’ve seen the top of the tomato market yet,” Schroeder said, indicating that tomato prices will continue to rise. “But when you talk about the broccoli and bell peppers and squash, I think we’re seeing the high point now. You’ll see those prices coming down now.”

Such a change won’t come soon enough for Andriolo Rose of Santa Monica, who was loading her groceries into her car Friday morning after shopping at a Hughes Market in West Los Angeles.

“I’m buying less fresh produce these days,” Rose said. “I’ve gone to frozen vegetables. They’re expensive too, but the quality of the fresh right now is poor because of the freeze.”

CHILLING SCENES FROM THE PRODUCE DEPARTMENT

California’s Arctic Express--along with bad weather in Mexico and Florida--has caused significant increases in produce prices. Consumers can hope for relief toward the end of April.

Normal post-freeze prices Item price The Boys Hughes Lucky Ralphs Vons Beefsteak tomatoes (lb.) $0.98 $1.49 $1.49 $1.39 $1.89 $1.99 Green bell peppers 0.90 1.29 1.79 1.49 na 1.49 Strawberries (12 oz.) 0.59 1.49 na 1.19 0.99 0.79 Cauliflower 1.00 0.99 0.99 0.79 1.59 0.99 Broccoli (1 lb.) 0.69/lb 0.99 0.89 0.79 0.99 0.89 Limes (each) 0.10-.16 0.33 0.39 0.39 0.10 0.39

Item Hannam Beefsteak tomatoes (lb.) $1.59 Green bell peppers 1.49 Strawberries (12 oz.) 1.79 Cauliflower 0.69 Broccoli (1 lb.) 0.59 Limes (each) 0.33

Note: Bold indicates highest price.

Note: Prices of tomatoes and limes were affected by bad weather in Florida and Mexico.

Source: Southern California supermarkets