In Canada’s city of Vancouver, skyrocketing prices of celery are raising eyebrows. Some grocery stores are selling the vegetable for nearly $6 per bunch.
Over the weekend, a social media user posted a picture of celery selling for $5.98 a head at a Real Canadian Superstore in the city, triggering a wave of comments.
The pricey vegetables definitely left some users feeling burned but there is a silver lining. Dietician Jessica Pirnak says that celery doesn’t have any unique properties that can’t be found elsewhere: “It doesn’t have to be celery. Dark leafy greens like kale, Swiss chard and collard greens all provide you with the same anti-inflammatory benefits."
Increases in price for the root vegetable, are linked to a decrease in supply and an increase in demand, according to Statistics Canada. Last year saw a nearly 10 per cent drop in harvested area for celery. There was also a comparable decrease in total yield and area planted. The supply is down in parts of California, where much of Canada’s celery comes from.
Emily Theelen, speaking on behalf of The Canadian Press said in an email that major celery producers have been drowned out. They "have experienced unseasonably cold temperatures and heavy rainfall over the past few months.” The fields in Oxnard, California and those around Yuma, Arizona, have been affected by unusually cold and wet weather, leading to crop loss and disease.
Source: bc.ctvnews.ca