CLEVELAND — Tomato prices are spiking at grocery stores across Northeast Ohio, driven by a mix of crop losses, international shortages and rising transportation costs, a “perfect storm.”
Wholesale prices tell the story. Ron Miller, president of Miller Quality Produce, said a box of tomatoes that typically costs between $20 and $30 is now running as high as $70.
The surge follows a major freeze in Florida earlier this season that wiped out significant portions of the crop. At the same time, supply has tightened in other key growing regions, including Mexico and Canada, limiting imports and putting further pressure on availability.
With fewer products on the market and demand holding steady, prices have climbed quickly.
Transportation is adding to the strain.
“A truck from California that normally costs us in the $6,000 range is now $9,000 to $10,000,” Miller said.
Those higher shipping costs are being passed down the supply chain, hitting consumers at the checkout line, especially for table tomatoes, the kind most commonly used for sandwiches and salads.
Weekly Price Tracker
Each week, we’ll visit Meijer, Giant Eagle, Aldi, Walmart, Heinen's, and Dave's Market to check prices on everyday essentials.
Those include: 2% milk, a loaf of wheat bread, chicken price per pound, ground beef tray or patty per pound (80% lean 20% fat), 12 dozen white eggs and toasted oats cereal.
If you're willing to shop around, you can snag even deeper discounts on meat, dairy, and pantry goods.
We’re also giving you a chance to see how your favorite stores stack up week to week. We’ll compare how grocery prices change at each store each week.
Find a better deal? We want to hear from you! Submit your finds through the form below. If you beat our prices, we’ll feature them.
And if you’re a savvy shopper, always chasing the best deals, we may even join you on your next grocery run.
