New York Produce Prices are Soaring

New Yorkers could be forking over more green for their summer fruits and salads — as record-breaking heat waves and droughts shrivel crops across the nation, sending prices soaring.

Dozens of field-picked vegetables and fruits got baked out of business in the past three weeks, causing overnight shortages at Hunts Point in The Bronx, the world’s largest produce marketplace.

Fresh-picked cucumbers, for example, have soared 57 percent at the wholesale level since the start of July.

Boston lettuce has skyrocketed 80 percent, while blueberries are up 69 percent.

“Wholesale prices for certain field crops are becoming a lot higher than expected,” said Terry Long, an analyst at the US Department of Agriculture.

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By Paul Tharp