More Details About the Freeze in Mexico

One of our fruit and vegetable suppliers have provided us with the following information regarding the weather in Mexico and what it means for produce:

On February 2nd and 3rd, huge areas of Northern Mexico were devastated by temperatures that plunged to levels never seen in recorded history. These same areas, between the Sierra Madre and the coast of the Sea of Cortes, are extremely important production areas. Hundreds of thousands of acres of producing areas were damaged or destroyed.

The same cold also impacted major producing areas in the winter growing regions of southern desert areas in California and Arizona. Temperatures dropped to near-freezing as far south as Mazatlan. Even banana growing regions hundreds of kilometers farther south sustained temperatures low enough to cause chill damage to the current banana crop.

This is a tragedy for farmers who grow all the things we eat in the winter that can't be produced anywhere else – not only destroying their export crops, but also food grown for the local people – predominantly corn (maize), rice and potatoes, all of which were killed off over a large area.

With much more limited supply, and an ever-increasing demand for organics, prices will continue to climb. Most of the farms who grow things like cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini, green beans, etc., do not have time to replant before it is either too hot, or before the new crops from California are ready for market.

Many growers also survived quite well, especially those growing in shadehouses and greenhouses, so there will be produce available, but with limited availability. Growers trying to recoup losses by selling what they have left at higher prices will affect the retail prices for some time.

Asparagus: The major growing regions (Caborca, Mexicali) lost all current growth and had damage to some of the producing crowns. Availability will be limited to asparagus being flown in from Peru until the first new crop comes from California in a few weeks.

Green Beans: Only a handful of growers on the west coast of the Baja Peninsula were spared. Availability will be limited and expensive for four weeks.

Tomatoes: Prices have doubled in the past three days. Greenhouses survived but open field plantings died.

Cucumbers: These will be virtually non-existent or extremely expensive as most are grown in open fields.

Bell Peppers: Prices have doubled or tripled as growers near the US border lost, in some cases, their entire production as cold air filtered into their mesh shadehouses.

Zucchini: Over a thousand acres were flattened and killed. Supply will be limited and prices high until the first crops come in from California. Prices tripled in one day.

Lettuce: Except for coastal California, lettuce quality will be poor, most of it being frost-damaged.

Salad Mixes: Most salad is grown in the area around Yuma, where temperatures dropped to -4C. There will be some recovery, but production will be limited until new plantings are ready in 3 weeks.

Other items that may be impacted include melons, cherry tomatoes, peas, cilantro, hot peppers, grapefruit, parsley, chard, green onions, and more. We will be doing the best we can to continue to bring you the best and most affordable organic fruits and vegetables available during this disaster.