US herb growers feel the aftermath of bad weather
“Right now there are some issues with herbs such as cilantro because of the heat in California,” says Camilo Penalosa of Miami, Fl.-based Infinite Herbs. “It’s also rained in areas of Mexico where at this time of the year it doesn’t usually rain. They have received more rain and more heat than usual. When there’s too much heat and rain, cilantro doesn’t have a good shelf life, it doesn’t grow as well because it’s a cool-climate crop. It tends to get beat up. And it just doesn’t hold as well.”
Similar issues are also happening with dill.
Meanwhile other herb-growing regions are suffering some of the same fate—Canada’s Montreal region has, this season, seen more rain than usual and the same is true for the New Jersey area.
Shortages in the future?
“And as we look ahead towards the holidays, we might see some shortages in some herb crops because Hurricane Irma hit the herb section in Florida pretty hard. It was already planted,” says Penalosa. “And the recent earthquake in Mexico hit right where the culinary herbs grow. It’s a big growing area.”
The thin supply of herbs such as cilantro has also pushed up prices for the time being—as much as 30-40 per cent higher than usual at this time of year. “It’s been like this for a few weeks and I suspect it’ll remain for a few more weeks,” says Penalosa.
For more information:
Camilo Penalosa
Infinite Herbs
Ph: 617-319-9253
cpenalosa@infiniteherbs.com
www.infiniteherbs.com