Romaine calm! Small producers finding ways to avoid lettuce shortage and inflation by growing locally
Grocery shoppers walking through a lettuce aisle at a Metro, Loblaws or Costco recently have noticed a distinct lack of one thing: lettuce.
Lettuce is just the latest crop which has become scarce at large chains, which have seen a number of supply issues that have increased produce prices or simply caused them to vanish.
Sylvain Charlebois at Dalhousie University's agri-food analytics lab said, the reasons is simple: scale and dependence.
"If your customer is Loblaws and you have to supply 3,000 stores along with Sobeys, you need California," said Charlebois. "California's becoming an issue. It's drying up."
Charlebois said lettuce will be back on the shelves by December but that the shortage points to the issue of depending on California for food.
Lettuce, Charlebois said, is not difficult to grow and many smaller markets and produce sellers have the product available because they are sourcing it from greenhouses or other local producers.
Montreal-based Lufa Farms, for example, sells lettuce on its online marketplace and has over a dozen types of lettuce available from between $3.35 to $5.75 per 100 to 185 grams.
Head purchaser Frederic Leblond said the company has not had to shrink portions or increase prices dramatically because the produce is grown in greenhouses locally.
"For sure there is some inflation, but we can find some ways to control the inflation," he said. "The food we usually sell doesn't travel a lot, and we can save a lot of travel costs."
In addition, Leblond said 90 per cent of their products come from local greenhouses, and the other 10 per cent is sourced from thoroughly vetted suppliers.
"We don't depend on people based in California," he said. "We have some farmers in Montreal, and we have some good discussions with them about offer and demand, and we don't want to increase and they don't want to increase their prices."
Statistics Canada released a report in October showing that supply chain disruptions, labour shortages, changes in purchasing patterns and other factors have contributed to Canadians spending more and more on groceries. Fresh vegetables have increased around 11 per cent in the past year, according to Stats Can.
Charlebois added that those with space can easily start growing lettuce as it's not a demanding crop to produce. Those without space or a green thumb, however, may just need to change their shopping habits.
"If you have time, I would look around," he said. "In Montreal, I know a few produce stores, and that's all they do; they sell produce. Those places, you'd be surprised as there are some really good deals."
The lettuce shortage, Charlebois, said, will likely end in December as the supply shifts to Arizona, which had a decent yield this year.
"Most importantly, it's not going to last; it's temporary," he said. "It's going to get back to normal and prices are going to drop."
Lufa Farms also recently got into the meal kit game, creating another option for those looking to stay local and reduce food costs and waste.
"It's very customizable," said Lufa Farms nutritionist Chloe Garceau. "Our recipes are accessible to everyone, and they range from $5 to about 17."
Those meal kits also avoid extra waste by not pre-packing or pre-portioning ingredients that are sourced locally.
Charlebois said that those businesses that require large-scale supply, however, cannot continue to depend on California.
"The California model is not sustainable," he said. "We're going to have to figure something else out. It's only gonna get worse."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
BREAKING Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter banned from NBA
Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter has been handed a lifetime ban from The National Basketball Association (NBA) following an investigation which found he disclosed confidential information to sports bettors, the league says.
WATCH LIVE As GC Strategies partner is admonished by MPs, RCMP confirms search warrant executed
The RCMP confirmed Wednesday it had executed a search warrant at an address registered to GC Strategies. This development comes as MPs are enacting an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power, summoning one of its contractors to appear before the House of Commons to be admonished publicly for failing to answer questions related to the ArriveCan app.
Disappointment widespread over budget's proposed $200-month disability benefit funding
Advocacy groups across Canada are expressing widespread disappointment about the amount of funding earmarked in the 2024 federal budget for the long-awaited Canada Disability Benefit.
Earthquake jolts southern Japan
An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.4 hit southern Japan late on Wednesday, said the Japan Meteorological Agency, without issuing a tsunami warning.
Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster
A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?
Former Sask. massage therapist who sexually assaulted clients has day parole revoked
A former massage therapist who pleaded guilty to a string of sexual assaults has had his day parole revoked.