BRONX, NY - The back-to-back storms that recently swept across the state of California are showing to have potentially lasting effects for many suppliers. D’Arrigo New York recently shared some insight into the situation, noting possible challenges within the strawberry, raspberry, lettuce, and broccoli categories.
“We are bracing for unsteady supply in these items but have all the faith in the world in the resiliency of our suppliers/partners,” said Matthew D’Arrigo, Chief Executive Officer of D'Arrigo New York, in a recent company release.
The month of January saw nine back-to-back atmospheric rivers in California, with weather affecting over 15,000 acres and contributing to more than $330 million worth of farm losses in the Salinas area. This month, the recent storms are expected to impact even more acreage, specifically in the western areas of Salinas.
As the company noted in its release, the outcome will be a loss of volume and production within the spring season and possibly longer; the most impacted crops will be strawberries, raspberries, lettuce, and broccoli.
D’Arrigo New York also noted that this shortage of supply is set to cause an increase in pricing at the retail level, in addition to gaps in availability at the restaurants and on retail shelves. The look, size, and flavor profile of the items will also be impacted. With each of these crops serving as spring staples, they are expected to become more expensive and likely harder to come by.
ANUK will continue to weigh the impacts of recent California storms on our beloved fresh produce industry, so keep clicking for the latest updates.
