USDA estimates increase in retail price for vegetables
The farm-level vegetable producer price index declined 1.7% in 2018, but there will be an increase of 11-12% in producer prices for vegetables this year.
In the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Price Outlook report, the Washington, D.C.-based agency reported that although fresh vegetable prices decreased 1% from April to May, prices are 5.2% higher than in May 2018.
“The price indexes for all fresh vegetable components (potatoes, lettuce, tomatoes and other fresh vegetables) continued to show strong year-over-year growth,” according to the report. “Following a 1.1% increase in 2018, this month’s forecast for fresh vegetable prices has again been revised upward, with expectations for an increase in a range between 3-4% in 2019.”