Tomatoes in short supply, consumers should expect higher prices

WITI-TV, Milwaukee

 
It's going to cost you more to get your hands on tomatoes, if you can get them at all. It's all due to a shortage caused by cold weather in Florida. It's damaged the existing fruit that was hanging on the vine. To make matters worse, Mexican crops were also damaged by the cold.

The price of a 25-pound box of tomatoes has soared from about $7 a year ago. Nowadays, that price per box is closer to $30.

"We then have to add transportation and handling charges through the system by the time they get to the end consumer it's really easy to have tomatoes cost more than the meat in the hamburger," said Sam Maglio, a producer distributor in southeast Wisconsin.

The tomato shortage is expected to level off by April. This, as farmers begin to harvest the new tomato crops that were not affected by the recent cold snap.