The USDA has predicted an increase in fruit prices, according to the Wall Street Journal.
"U.S. consumers face higher prices for oranges and other fresh fruit because of adverse weather and widespread disease in Florida and California, federal forecasters said Wednesday.
The Agriculture Department said fresh fruit prices will rise between 5% and 6% this year, a sharp increase over its estimate last month of 3.5% to 4.5%.
Fresh fruit posted some of the strongest price gains last month, as a citrus greening disease afflicted Florida’s orange and grapefruit trees, and a bitter cold snap wiped out parts of California’s orange and lemon crops. Fruit prices rose 2% in May and 7.3% from a year earlier.
Higher fruit prices don’t yet reflect the extreme dry weather facing farmers in California, the USDA’s Ms. Kuhns said. “We’ll probably start seeing effects of the drought this month or next,” she said."
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