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Hurricanes to Blame for Skyrocketing Tomato Prices

Nov. 12 - With U.S.tomato supplies tight, we're hoping that it doesn't get so bad here in the states that Americans start fighting over tomatoes like these people at the Spanish Festival of la Tomatina. Okay they are fighting with tomatoes, not over them.

But supplies of this popular ingredient in soups, sauces, and salsa are becoming scarce.

The 3 hurricanes that battered Florida decimated the state's tomato crops hitting Florida's tomato producing regions hard. That's a big problem since typically this time of year fForida is churning out 75% to 80% of U.S. supply. The result is skyrocketing prices.

The Florida Tomato committee says they're almost triple from around $7 for a 25 pound box to about the low twenties.

Consumers and customers are feeling the squeeze,  "Well I see an increase in tomatoes on the vine. I didn't really look at the other ones. I guess you can get the little tomatoes, what do you call them? Plum tomatoes are more reasonable, sometimes I do buy the egg tomatoes."

"I didn't realize it was because of the hurricanes. I just figured the tomato season was coming to an end over there and that's why they went up, but I guess that makes sense."

And it is not just in the supermarkets, it's restaurant chains too. Wendy's has canceled plans to advertise a chicken sandwich topped with a slice of tomato and they say the last minute switch will contribute to a profit shortfall this quarter, though some others say its competitors who are really giving Wendy's a headache.

About those competitors, McDonald's says it could implement rolling blackouts of salsa at its mexican style Chipotle chain. While Darden, which owns Red Lobster is modifying recipes, varieties and sizes of tomatoes while supplies are short.

But if you are a tomato lover, don't despair, production should recover by late December, which means stockings can be stuffed with Burpee big boys instead of sugar plums this year.