GREEN STUFF COSTS MORE GREENBACKS ICEBERG LETTUCE PRICE HIGHEST IN 15 YEARS.Byline: Evan Pondel Staff Writer Southern California's chic salads are costing a lot more with an unprecedented spike in the price of lettuce, caused by unusually cold weather in the desert growing grounds. The frigid temperatures are wilting wilting dehydration of plants to the point where the leaves lose their turgor and hang limply. Can happen in living plants which later return to normal, or to cut plants before they are fed out. Thought to be a factor in increasing toxicity. growers' crops of iceberg lettuce iceberg lettuce n. A crisp, round, compact head of lettuce with light green, tightly folded leaves. [From its pale color. , and the scant supply has sent the average retail price soaring to a 15-year high. ``This is the worst I've ever seen it,'' said Steve Skuba, market reporter for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ``The conditions have really surprised almost everyone in the trade.'' The price hikes haven't been as dramatic with other kinds of lettuce, such as red leaf and romaine, because of where they're grown. But the sparse supply of the iceberg variety has pushed prices to record highs, with a head costing 40 percent more on average than a year ago, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the Western Growers Association, which represents around 3,500 growers, packers and shippers in the nation. ``The Winter Salad Bowl saw temperatures slightly above normal levels at the beginning of winter, providing a premature boost in normal growth rates Growth Rates The compounded annualized rate of growth of a company's revenues, earnings, dividends, or other figures. Notes: Remember, historically high growth rates don't always mean a high rate of growth looking into the future. of iceberg lettuce,'' Skuba said about a geographic region, straddling strad·dle v. strad·dled, strad·dling, strad·dles v.tr. 1. a. To stand or sit with a leg on each side of; bestride: straddle a horse. b. the Colorado River Colorado River River, south-central Argentina. Its major headstreams, the Grande and Barrancas rivers, flow southward from the Andes Mountains and meet to form the Colorado near the Chilean border. It flows southeastward across northern Patagonia and the southern Pampas. , that got its nickname as a producer of iceberg and other varieties of lettuce. ``But all that growth quickly ended once the cooler temperatures crept up.'' Supermarkets are struggling with the soaring price of lettuce. ``It's hard to explain these prices to customers,'' said Mark Wilson Mark Wilson may refer to:
``High lettuce prices basically paint a bigger picture that says things aren't rosy,'' said Rhona Feldman, a West Hills resident shopping at the Woodland Hills market. Large-scale consumers also are grappling with the skyrocketing prices. The Los Angeles Unified School District The Los Angeles Unified School District (the "LAUSD") is the largest (in terms of number of students) public school system in California and the second-largest in the United States. Only the New York City Department of Education has a larger student population. has removed iceberg lettuce from its cafeteria lunches because of the price. Pearl Iizuka, deputy business manager for the LAUSD LAUSD Los Angeles Unified School District (Los Angeles, CA) , said the district is temporarily substituting mixed fruit. ``We were using a lot of iceberg in our lunches, but then prices started to rise,'' she said. ``Until they (suppliers) manage to get the prices back to normal levels, we'll continue to serve more fruit.'' Recently, the school district paid $58 for a carton of iceberg lettuce - 24 heads. Four weeks ago, a carton of lettuce cost the district between $8 and $10. ``The price just seems to continue to (go) higher and higher,'' Iizuka said. Other varieties of lettuce, including romaine, green leaf and red leaf, have also experienced a spike in prices. But Skuba said consumer demand is always highest for iceberg, although it generally has the least nutritional value. ``As far as I know, a carton of iceberg lettuce has never (previously) cost more than $50,'' he said. ``And consumers may see less lettuce in the produce sections because of these prices.'' Seasons dictate where most of California's lettuce is grown. In the spring, lettuce is grown in Huron, about 200 miles north of Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. , while in the summer months, Salinas Salinas, city, United States Salinas (səlē`nəs), city (1990 pop. 108,777), seat of Monterey co., W Calif.; inc. 1874. It is the shipping and processing center of a fertile valley famous for its grain and lettuce. in Central California Central California can refer to one of several divisions or regions of the U.S state of California:
``I expect once the lettuce shifts geography, we will see prices stabilize, as supply will probably return as soon as April,'' Skuba said. CAPTION(S): 4 photos, chart Photo: (1 -- 3 -- color) Bernardino Oliva prepares a box of lettuce for a regular customer at the Whole Foods Market in Woodland Hills. A shopper passes up iceberg lettuce in the Whole Foods Market. Frosty weather has cut the supply and raised prices. A clerk holds a head of lettuce. Iceberg lettuce is fetching the highest prices in 15 years because supplies are sparse, also pushing up prices on other varieties. Phil McCarten/Staff Photographer (4) A worker on a tractor cultivates young head lettuce in Salinas, Calif. Supplies are scant for this time of year because crops elsewhere, in winter-harvest areas, have been hurt by frost. Paul Sakuma/Associated Press Chart: HEADS UP The retail value of a head of lettuce in Los Angeles jumped in recent months. SOURCE: Western Growers Association Dan DeLorenzo/Staff Artist |
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