Consumers will have to pay more for vegetables and fruits as production fell by at least 50% this year, mainly due to the unpredictable weather pattern. The ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, global inflation and workers’ shortage at home have also pushed up operational costs in the last two years, making it hard for small farms to keep holding on.
For most leafy greens and other vegetables grown locally, prices are set to go up between 30% and 50%, a trend that started last year. Increased rainfall this year has also affected the yield and quality of local fruits, as several incidents of flash floods earlier this year had destroyed some of the members’ farms.