David Tran, the largest maker of a popular Vietnamese condiment, sriracha sauce is warning customers he will have to take a hiatus from production from early April until September. The reason is a catastrophic failure of his Mexican suppliers crops of chili peppers due to drought in northern Mexico. The same drought is affecting his California suppliers, so his prediction of a resumption in production later this year may be wishful thinking.
Most people do not know that a sizable percentage of America's winter vegetable supply originates in Mexico. Thanks to low labor costs, irrigation projects and gringo know how, delicacies like asparagus which once graced our tables for a brief period in the spring are now a 12 month staple in the produce aisle. Now as a mega drought threatens production in the American and Mexican west, everything from avocados to zucchini will become more dear as production of winter vegetables shifts back to places like Florida.
The southeast will also face challenges to production as climate change, population growth and the retirement of a generation of farmers threatens the area's ability to meet our demand for winter vegetables. Hot sauce may indeed be the canary in the coal mine when it comes to vegetable production.
Even once bustling seasonal producing areas like the northeast and midwest will deal with droughts, floods and other obstacles. Much of the farming infrastructure in these areas has gone by the wayside as California has overwhelmed its eastern competition with supplies of cheap vegetables in the summer months. That advantage may be coming to an end with the advent of $7.00/gallon diesel. However, as many farmers age out of the system, their replacements are for the most part boutique growers with small acreage catering to an upscale clientele. I believe in the not too distant future, fresh vegetables may become the prerogative of the rich.
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