<p style="text-indent:0px; line-height:12px;"><span style="font-weight:bold;">Central Valley, CA-</span><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">By ANUK Staff<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">2.13.13</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>The recent spike in lettuce prices appears to be heading back towards normalcy.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Freezing temperatures and heavy January rains damaged crops in Arizona and California causing costs of romaine, leaf, iceberg, and other lettuce varieties to run-up this month.<img src="https://cdn.andnowuknow.com/legacyWriterImages/lettuce-prices-falling-banner.jpg" alt="Lettuce Prices on the Decline - IMAGES" />"That made it a scarce, high market," said Jay Rosenstein, co-owner at William Rosenstein and Sons, a produce wholesaler on Keyser Avenue in Scranton.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Some retailers charged close to $3 a head for leaf and romaine lettuce varieties this past weekend, according to the Scranton Times Tribune.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Two weeks ago, Mr. Rosenstein was selling a 24-head carton of iceberg lettuce for $36 to $42. Now, prices are at $20 to $22 for the same quantities.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">"I'm at half the price I was two weeks ago," he said.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Gerrity's Supermarket noticed a decline in prices as supplies became more available, Produce Specialist Enrico Galassi said.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">"We have adjusted some of our pricing down," Mr. Galassi said. "It is sort of behind us."<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">He said the price of a pound of romaine lettuce at Gerrity's peaked recently at $1.99 and is now about $1.70.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Quality issues may continue to impact lettuce supplies temporarily, Mr. Galassi said.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Most grocery shoppers probably will begin to see prices start to diminish at the retail level soon, Mr. Rosenstein predicted.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">"You won't see a reflection until next week's pricing," he said.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href=" http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/lettuce-prices-seem-to-be-retreating-1.1443206" target="_new">Scranton Times Tribune</a></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">
