If you’ve been hungry for some spring strawberries, you may be a little surprised and shocked by what you find at your local grocery store. Or rather, don’t find.
Inclement weather and other problems in prime strawberry-growing regions have led to a shortage of the tasty fruit. As a result, strawberry prices have soared, supplies have been spotty, and some berries being shipped are not up to usual plump, red, and ripe standards.
“This normally is my strawberry gravy train season,” said Kyle Ryan, manager of the Monnettes Market on Glendale Avenue.
“Usually what you see at this time is an oversupply. It drives the prices down and I’m selling them for 50 cents a pound,” he said.
But the last two weeks, Mr. Ryan had to pay $38 wholesale for eight pounds of strawberries. Ordinarily, he’d pay from $2 to $20 at most for that amount.
To maintain a slim profit margin, Monnettes is charging $5 a pound this week. “I don’t think I’ve ever had to have strawberries at $5 a pound and I’m not even making my normal margin,” Mr. Ryan said.
Also, shipments have been limited. He recently ordered 54 cases of California-grown berries but got 16. He ordered 18 cases of Mexico-grown berries, but just two arrived — and the fruit was on the small side.
Jim Sautter, owner of Sautter’s Five-Star Markets, said the issue “was brought to my attention last week when we had strawberries in our weekly ad for $3.99 a pound and I was losing money on them.”
He doesn’t like losing money, but, “It’s one of those things. You gotta have ’em. Even if I don’t sell a lot, I have to have them in case somebody wants them.”
Driscoll’s, of Watsonville, Calif., the nation’s largest distributor of strawberries, told its customers recently that bad weather in several major strawberry-growing regions created the shortage. There was cold and rainy weather in Mexico and freezes in Southern California. Meanwhile the growing season in Florida, which usually lasts until May, ended early this year.
Last week the Produce Alliance, a produce management, procurement and consulting firm, said in a weekly Market Review that strawberries were under an “Extreme” alert. “The market is high; we are seeing very poor quality, higher prices, and shortages in supply,” its report said.
Justin Glover, manager of Walt Churchill’s Market in Perrysburg, said he tried to get Driscoll strawberries last week but none were available. So he was forced to buy another brand for his produce shelves, which have signs explaining the problem to customers.
“The bad weather has meant the quality might not be 100 percent. There might be some bruising and the berries might be a little small,” Mr. Glover said.
Even mega-chain Kroger, the area’s dominant grocery retailer with huge buying clout, hasn’t escaped the shortage.
Amy McCormick, a spokesman in Columbus, said Kroger stores have seen spot shortages. Stores have placed signs alerting customers to the problem.
“With the adverse weather conditions in California’s growing region, and the seasonal transition out of Florida, it has delayed the product and quality has been an issue for us,” Ms. McCormick said.
But Kroger has been working hard to fill dwindling supplies at its stores and keep shelves stocked as best it can, Ms. McCormick said. “By Saturday and Sunday we will be refilled at 100 percent,” she said.
Contact Jon Chavez at jchavez@theblade.com or 419-724-6128.
First Published April 4, 2018, 10:20 p.m.
