Are you a pickle connoisseur? If so, extreme weather in Mexico could impact the availability of this snack in the United States.
Every year, Americans consume more than 20 billion pickles, but recently, consumers have noticed some restaurants warning of a “national pickle shortage.”
Warnings from restaurants such as Firehouse Subs, local delis and others are generally well-founded, as the U.S. Department of Agriculture and experts at North Carolina State University say the combination of reliance on imports and extreme weather conditions could impact supplies.
“There has actually been a shortage of pickling cucumbers, and that is due to a reduced supply from Mexico,” Jonathan Schultheis, a horticultural sciences professor at NC State University, told FOX Weather. “In some growing regions, it is too hot (100°F), which reduces yields. In other key production regions of Mexico, it is too cold. The harvest did not suffer from frost but from temperatures which did not favor the growth of pickled cucumbers.
Each year, the United States imports more than 1 million tons of fresh cucumbers, about 75% of which come from Mexico, but imports could decline by at least 7%, according to USDA estimates.
It’s this dependence on imports that is putting some businesses in trouble.
El Nino impacts harvests
A climate cycle known as El Niño has brought extreme weather to all 31 states of Mexico.
In general, warm waters of the central and eastern Pacific lead to increased precipitation and cooler conditions in winter and hot, dry heat in summer.
Pickled cucumbers grow best when temperatures are between 70°F and 90°F, but a constant has been relatively difficult to find.
Large areas of the country also experienced drought conditions, leading to low water levels in reservoirs.
The country’s National Water Commission has even restricted the flow of some water reservoirs due to increased pressure and demand.
And cucumbers require a decent amount of rainfall, with growers suggesting the crops need about an inch of water per week during the season.
Most of Mexico’s annual rainfall occurs during the summer monsoon, but its varying activity levels mean the weather phenomenon is not a reliable way to combat drought.
Don’t blame Mexico for trade disparities
The U.S. Department of Agriculture says domestic production of cucumbers and some types of squash has declined despite growing consumer demand for healthy vegetables.
In fact, consumption has increased in recent years by more than 24%, according to government estimates.
The U.S. International Trade Commission investigated allegations of unfair trade competition – an allegation the agency found to be baseless.
Trade groups have noted that the increase in cucumber imports is due to labor shortages, bad weather in the Southeast and consumer taste buds favoring the consistency of Mexican produce over those produced locally.
“Imports from Mexico have exceeded U.S. domestic production and become a major source of supply of cucumbers and squash to the U.S. market. This shift has also occurred in other fresh produce sectors such as fresh market tomatoes and peppers. The observed trend for fresh produce is consistent with the overall rapid pace of growth of U.S. agricultural imports from Mexico,” specialists at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences previously noted.
It remains to be seen whether Mexican production can recover and overcome the extreme weather conditions, but many other countries in the Americas could help solve the pickle dilemma.
New York Post
