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Global Weather Today Affects Produce Availability and Pricing  Down the Line

This report on weather came in from my organic produce supplier.  Weather is changing and supplies are affected.  Another reason to get on board with local food security.

JANUARY 18, 2010

SNOW IN MEXICAN FIELDS

“Thousands of acres of organic produce we receive in the winter            comes from Northern Mexico, packed for California companies.  This year we set up a direct contract with Nature’s Way brand in Nueva Leone.  Our first shipments have been lovely.  But last week, tragedy struck, with temperatures in their area dropping well below freezing.  They were relatively spared compared to growers farther inland in Chihuahua state (south of Arizona and Texas), where growing areas were hit with harsh winds and temperatures of -11C.
These growers are used to a little frost higher up once or twice a year, but this record cold blast was the coldest in recorded history – the same storm dropped up to 5cm in downtown Mexico City, where snow is usually only seen a thousand metres up the hillsides and on the volcanoes.

Please make sure your staff are aware of these situations, because you are going to get questioned about shortages and prices, and they should all be made aware of the reasons.  The same conditions are also going to affect conventional pricing over the next 12 weeks.

• *Temperatures have been unseasonably cold across the deserts of California, Sonora and Sinaloa, slowing production of peppers, eggplant, cucumber, zucchini, green onions.
• * Major growing areas in  Northern Mexico have been frozen out with huge losses of field crops including celery, red and green cabbage, broccoli, parsley, cilantro.
• * Two weeks ago temperatures in the major growing areas of Florida centered around Talahassee had overnight lows of -10C and they had frost as far south as West Palm Beach.  Production losses were drastic, forcing eastern wholesalers to increase demand on Western producers.
• * California is under emergency flood watches and storm warnings for this entire week.  The first of 5 storms hit yesterday.  Long range predictions show that for the next 19 days California will likely see a 200 year storm event (the type of storm that would normally happen every 200 years), with up to 600 mm (20 inches) of rain, high winds, and massive flooding.  Winds gusted to 130km last night as the first of the storms hit, affecting Monterey Bay north to southwestern B.C.
• * Winds hit hurricane force over the Metro Vancouver last night and many major streets are closed, and thousands without power, and we are at the very top end of what is a parade of huge violent storms, each of which will extend from Baja to Vancouver.

Less than 50% of North Americans believe that humans are impacting the environment, and that global climate change is unproven.
Thanks
Randy Hooper
Managing Director
Discovery Organics
Vancouver Canada