America faces tomato shortage

Tomato growth

If you're off to America and fancy a burger, you may find it lacking one of the main ingredients to get that desired taste - the tomato. Over in America, they're facing a shortage of tomatoes after record winter frosts lost the vast majority of Florida's tomato harvest.

The shortage has left fast food restaurants desperately hunting to find an alternative to one of America's favourite sandwich toppings.

Due to an unusually frigid winter, 60 to 70 percent of Florida's tomato crop was destroyed, said Terence McElroy, a spokesman at the Florida Department of Agriculture. And because the sunshine state produces about 75 percent of US tomatoes, prices across the country have spiked, CNN Money reports.

Due to the shortage, a 25-pound box of tomatoes from south Florida is selling for US$30, up more than 300 percent from a year ago, when a box of tomatoes cost about US$6.50 to US$7, said Reggie Brown, executive vice president of the Florida Tomato Growers Exchange.

Uninterrupted supply

As ingredients make up about 30 percent of the price of a typical fast food meal and tomatoes go into nearly every sandwich or burger, a price spike could chew up profits in no time.

"We're seeing the effects in restaurants and produce aisles at grocery stores, but fast food chains in particular are being impacted, because those restaurants buy tomatoes in bulk and put at least a thin slice on almost everything," said McElroy.

As a result of the shortage, restaurants are trying to offer their customers an uninterrupted supply with raising the prices. Some larger chains are managing to acquire tomatoes from other sources, while other restaurants are offering the fruit on request, or have moved it from their menu entirely.

Florida tomato growers are reportedly expected to have a crop of tomatoes available to consumers by April.

Jodie Humphries

Jodie Humphries graduated from Bath Spa University with a BA Hons in Creative Writing in 2008. She has worked for GDS Publishing for the digital group since July 2009. She has previous experience with writing for the web, running her own website since April 2007.

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