Drought and virus behind skyrocketing price of leafy greens in Canada

The last time you were at the grocery store — were you able to find lettuce? If you weren’t, you’re not alone.

The salad staple is becoming harder to find and it’s become increasingly expensive in Canada, but now we know why.

Sylvain Charlebois, director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University, says California’s recent drought made plants weaker and then the crops got infected with a virus. With many crops lost, it affected Canada’s imports of the leafy green.

“Romaine and iceberg are mainly impacted by the California situation,” says Charlebois.

He says if you’re getting desperate, don’t worry, relief will soon be on the way. “We expect things to get back to some sort of normal by early December.”

Related Articles:

• How you can save money as cost of living rises

• Competition Bureau to probe grocery sector as food prices soar 

• From inflation to interest rates to grocery prices to … profiteering?

Charlebois tells CityNews Arizona and Mexico will help with shipments next month.

The lack of lettuce is pushing prices higher. In Wednesday’s inflation report from Statistics Canada, the federal agency found lettuce prices jumped 30 per cent in October alone, the highest of any item at the grocery store.

Dairy, meat, baked goods, fruits, and vegetables also saw an increase in prices.

Another item giving lettuce a run for its money is butter, which is up 20 per cent year over year in Canada.

There have also been reports across the country that the lack of romaine, specifically, is forcing some restaurants to pull some items off their menu until Canada’s stock is replenished.