Cost of Processing Tomatoes Rises in California
By Michelle Fabio
Even though farmers are coming off the best year ever for tomato harvests in California, look for reduced numbers this year as lack of water and higher prices of other crops will likely force growers to cut back on tomatoes.
Because of drought restrictions, water delivery may be cut back by as much as 33 percent this coming season, which makes growing tomatoes less attractive than other crops that require less irrigation.
Moreover, since there is an ever-increasing demand for grains, especially corn for the production of ethanol, many farmers are weighing the pros and cons of growing tomatoes at all.
Although the California Tomato Growers Association Inc. has stated that cannery contacts have reached the $70 a ton level (up from $63 a ton last year), the increase may not be enough to convince farmers that their precious land should be filled with tomatoes, which are more susceptible to diseases and pests than grains.
At least one farmer is already planning to cut back on his tomato crop this year. Paul Sanguinetti plans to have more wheat, corn, and walnuts in place of tomatoes as tomatoes don’t provide “enough money for the gamble.”
Time will tell what these developments mean for the average consumer.
Read more at Prices rise as acreage drops for processing tomatoes.
