It also represents the largest pollination service market for honeybees.Īfter almonds service, beekeepers bring their honeybees to different locations across the United States, pollinating more than 90 other crops and making honey.Īlmond prices are already reflecting expectations of a smaller crop. Almonds are the seventh-most valuable crop in the United States, and are all grown in California, which also supplies 80% of the world’s production. “ Without bees, there would be no almonds,” the Almond Board of California says. “No one will know until May or June, but everyone is speculating almonds will be light this year based on the lack of bee flight during pollinations,” Rubin said.īees are moved around the country to help pollinate crops, especially California almonds between February and March each year. “Bees do not fly in hard rain or high winds,” said Charlotte Anderson, South Carolina’s first female master beekeeper, in her blog. “Hard rain could break their wings, and in windy weather, the effort often outweighs the rewards.”Īs a result, crops that depend on pollination could feel the effects of bee disruption. The extreme cold, windy and wet weather across the country has prevented bees from pollinating as usual. Lost grains: Global rice shortage possible in 2023, prices are expected to remain high, analysts say It’s not just the soil, but the bees “At retail stores, some supply imported from Mexico has helped keep prices down, but the organic and locally grown has been more expensive.”Ĭlimate hits our food: Weird weather hit cattle ranchers and citrus growers in 2022. “What we have seen at local farmers markets is an increase in price,” Wells Fargo’s Rubin said. Salinas and Salinas Valley are part of Monterey County, and Watsonville is part of Santa Cruz County.Ĭrops hit the hardest included romaine lettuce, strawberries, wine grapes, celery, carrots, broccoli and garlic, it said. In late February, the Monterey County agricultural commissioner’s office in California estimated the value of crops lost and projected future losses at $324.1 million. Not only did farmers have to wait for the water to subside, but they also had to make sure the soil wasn’t contaminated with bacteria that could cause foodborne illness. The overflow left about one-fifth of the fields underwater.įloods in the Salinas Valley, the nation's “salad bowl” that grows more than 60% of its lettuce, also hampered planting. Intense rainfall breached a levee and flooded the central California communities of Watsonville and Salinas, which produce about one-third of the state’s strawberries. What crops couldn’t be planted?īerries, lettuce and other green leafy vegetables and tomatoes are among the major crops that will suffer from the flooding in California. There's nowhere to plant tomatoes, and that's just one problem.Ĭhicken pot pie costs what?: You think food price inflation is easing? Try baking this chicken pot pie recipe. “This year is extreme,” said Brad Rubin, sector manager for specialty crops within Wells Fargo’s Agri-Food Institute. “The amount of wet weather and a cold spring delayed plantings in major areas of California.”įlooded with problems: California's vast farms are soaked. In the meantime, consumers may see smaller selections, lower supplies and higher prices, experts say. fruits, nuts and "salad bowl" vegetables like lettuce, tomatoes, spinach and kale, according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture.Īlthough farmers are optimistic they can recover from delayed planting timelines, it may take a few months. But the extreme swings this year have left many growers behind schedule, especially in California, which produces nearly half of U.S. Good weather, especially in the spring when planting season starts, is vital to growing a bountiful crop of fruits, nuts and vegetables. this year, and shoppers likely will feel the lingering effects at the grocery store heading into summer.
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