Food Shortage 2023: 5 Produce Shortages That May Happen  (2024)

Another produce shortage is on the way. Here’s the food outlook for 2023.

It seems like shortages have become the new norm. While 2020 brought shortages in everything from toilet paper to lumber, 2021 saw shortages in chicken, semiconductor chips, and prescription medications, and 2022 brought shortages in cream cheese, diesel, and baby formula. 2022 was also a bad year for food shortages — and we’ll likely see more food shortages in 2023.

Here are the top five produce items that may be difficult to find or become more expensive later in the year:

5 Produce Shortages That May Happen In 2023

Corn

The war in Ukraine has had widespread impacts on everything from oil to fertilizers. Since Ukraine is one of the leading providers of corn, the world’s corn supply has suffered, and prices have risen. Plus, Argentina, another corn supplier, had a smaller yield.

But that’s not all. According to the USDA, less corn was planted in 2022 than in 2021. Corn growers cut their corn acreage by 4%, meaning they would only plant 89.5 million acres of corn in 2022. As a result, we’re likely to experience a smaller yield, a corn shortage, and higher prices in 2023.

However, chefs can’t go without corn and foods that contain corn, such as cereals and corn syrup. So, it’s time to turn to wholesale food distributors like Riviera Produce. Despite the corn shortage and rising prices, you’ll still be able to find corn at a reasonable price with us because we have strong relationships with various wholesale produce farms and specialty vendors.

Lettuce

The last year hasn’t been kind to many crops, but lettuce has had it particularly bad. Most of the United States’ iceberg and romaine lettuce supply is grown in central California’s warm climate areas. However, in the fall of 2022, lettuce in this region was infected with impatiens necrotic spot virus, an insect-borne virus that damaged over 50% of farmers’ crops. On top of that, the area’s unseasonably high temperatures impacted the lettuce crop, worsening the lettuce shortage.

Between the unusual temperatures and the virus, lettuce inventory has been low, and prices have skyrocketed by 25%. Some people have been forced to take what they can get as they wait for lettuce production to ramp up and the shortage to wind down, but you don’t have to skimp on quality.

You can still serve quality salads and sandwiches if you turn to a wholesale produce supplier like Riviera Produce. Instead of scrambling to substitute ingredients or alter your menu, you can find a steady and reliable supply of lettuce through Riviera Produce!

Avocados

Last summer, between climate change, a June hailstorm in Mexico, supply chain problems, and rising fertilizer prices due to the war in Ukraine, we saw a major avocado shortage and extremely high prices. While avocado prices have since dropped, there are still a few things we need to be aware of.

First, there is less acreage in California producing avocados today than compared to ten years ago. Additionally, though harvest and demand are strong out of Michoacan, the season has already wrapped up in Jalisco until mid-May. HAB data projects a drop in imports from Mexico, and the cost of harvesting and packing avocadoes has increased. In California, heavy rain and the accompanying mud briefly halted harvesting. We expect to see a medium-sized avocado crop from California this year with a skew to larger sizes and pricing comparable to Mexico.

Though most packers are planning to keep domestic avocados on the West Coast, it’s still possible to obtain avocados on the East Coast — especially if you work with top produce distributor. With help from a wholesale food supplier, you can get your hands on avocados in a timely manner and for a reasonable price, meaning you can overcome the avocado shortage without stressing.

Broccoli and Cauliflower

California is responsible for producing roughly 92% of the broccoli grown in the United States, meaning that the high temperatures and droughts in the region in recent years majorly impacted broccoli availability. Though growers have set up irrigation pumps out west, broccoli and cauliflower yields have been affected by the heat and lack of water and will be part of the vegetable shortage in 2023.

At the same time, the snow and frosts experienced in the UK, France, and Spain severely impacted crops. Unfortunately, we won’t see much relief on that front until the summer harvests in late May and early June.

While broccoli and cauliflower supply will eventually increase and prices will return to normal, you don’t need to completely rearrange your menu in the meantime. Instead, you can find quality cauliflower and broccoli from Riviera Produce. As a wholesale produce supplier, we have everything you need to get through the vegetable shortage of 2023.

Tomatoes

The weather in California isn’t just impacting cauliflower and broccoli. It’s also having a major effect on tomato crops and prices. Given that the West Coast produces nearly 90% of our country’s tomatoes and drought has caused farmers to let 40% of their crops die off, it’s hardly surprising that there is a tomato shortage. In fact, California has had the driest three-year stretch in recorded history! Plus, to make matters worse, we’re dealing with steeper fertilizer and fuel prices due to the war in Ukraine and inflation, which have pushed the prices for tomatoes even higher.

However, you can’t just go without tomatoes. Not only are they a popular base ingredient in several dishes and food items, but they’re also delicious on their own and perfect for everything from salads to sandwiches to pasta dishes.

That’s where wholesale food suppliers like Riviera Produce come in. When you work with a produce distributor, you can navigate the tomato shortage and get your hands on affordable, high-quality tomatoes fast.

Quickly Find High-Quality Produce and Overcome the Food Shortage In 2023 With Riviera Produce

The food outlook for 2023 looks rocky. Supplies of everything from corn to tomatoes may be lower than usual, meaning prices will likely be higher. What’s more, the quality of crops may be impacted.

Enter Riviera Produce. Our family-owned and -operated wholesale food distribution business serves New York City, part of New Jersey, and Connecticut and sources produce from local, national, and international farms. We provide food to restaurants and offer speedy delivery, competitive pricing, and quality you can trust.

Start ordering from our online store today to overcome the produce shortages of today and tomorrow!