The Tomato Shortage of 2010

Continues to Get Worse!

The tomato shortage, now all over the United States is affecting all of us right now and continues to get worse as demand is far exceeding supplies.

The tomato shortage was caused by an unusual hard freeze in Florida. That freeze killed about 80% of the January crop of tomatoes in Florida. The freeze not only affected tomatoes, but also affected green peppers, green beans and strawberries.

Many farms/shippers started running out of tomatoes earlier this week, and the supplies are reaching an all time low while demand is still very strong!

Native Maine is continuing to source fresh round/sized tomatoes imported from other countries such as Mexico, Guatemala, and even the Netherlands. These tomatoes have to travel much further, and they are often bruised, hard and discolored by the time we get them. All this, and the wholesale prices have already doubled and they continue to climb!

This crisis may continue for another 60-90 days as fresh tomatoes grow on a 90 day cycle. Until then, use your tomatoes sparingly, order only what you need for the next 24 hours (these tomatoes will not store well, turning to mush in just a day or so).  Unfortunately, due to the crop quality we are unable to provide credit for any tomatoes which have been accepted and received by your staff.

Posters for your business:

Tomato Shortage Information Poster (PDF)

Tomato Shortage Temporary Surcharge Poster (PDF)