I Just Bought A Head Of Lettuce For $7.50—Is This The New Normal?
Weeks after it was reported that we were in the midst of a lettuce shortage, it appears that the shortage is far from loosening its grip, and current lettuce prices are a direct reflection of that.
Back in November, Growing Produce, a website that shares "the latest news and trends in the fruit, vegetable, and citrus sectors," informed readers that unseasonably high temperatures and crop disease experienced by farmers in California were affecting the amount of iceberg and romaine lettuce being harvested.
“Consumers have dealt with shortages related to COVID-19 disruptions most recently, but it looks like this is weather- and disease-related losses that resulted in supply issues,” David Anderson, AgriLife Extension Economist, shared with Growing Produce. “We grow accustomed to seeing lettuce at the grocery store year-round, but a lot of folks don’t know we rely on producers all around the country and beyond to serve that year-round availability.”
A number of people on social media have shared their experiences after either being unable to purchase lettuce or having purchased lettuce for much more than normal.
Is there a shortage on romaine lettuce?! I’m trying to make a damn chicken caesar salad and I’ve been to three different stores and none of them have any 😫
— chris evans (@notcapnamerica) December 7, 2022
"Is there a shortage on romaine lettuce?! I’m trying to make a damn chicken caesar salad and I’ve been to three different stores and none of them have any," wrote one user on Twitter.
Delish food editor Brooke Caison said she paid $7.50 for a single head of iceberg lettuce at a grocery store in Brooklyn, New York. Others have noticed that some of their favorite fast food restaurants are having to make do because of the shortage.
"Chick Fil-A app says there’s a lettuce shortage.. we are in for some scary days," another user tweeted.
In addition to Chick-fil-A, Subway has also made customers aware of the shortage, reports the publication Supply Chain Dive.
For anyone suddenly craving a lettuce wrap, the end of the shortage could be near. According to Business Insider, the ordeal may come to an end later this month or as late as January, when lettuce from southern California and Arizona, two regions less impacted by crop disease, becomes available.
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