VANCOUVER — While shopping for Thanksgiving dinner supplies, it may be prudent to stock up.
A new report released today by Vancouver City Savings Credit Union, predicts produce prices in the province could increase up to 34 per cent this year, due to the drought in California.
The governor of California Jerry Brown declared a drought emergency back in January, when vanishing snowpack and rainfall led the state to impose mandatory water restrictions on farmers. Dry conditions have been an ongoing issue for the past three years in the state.
READ MORE: California releases plans for emergency drought relief
The study found in 2010, 67 per cent of B.C. vegetables imports came from the U.S. and half of those were produced in California, including 95 per cent of all broccoli and 74 per cent of all lettuce. Between 1996 and 2011, local B.C. crop production of broccoli decreased by 52 per cent and lettuce by 34 per cent.
WATCH: The author of the report, Brent Mansfield, talks to Aaron McArthur on Prime:
Produce prices in B.C. increased between 5.7 per cent and 9.6 per cent between July 2013 and 2014 and the report predicts that if the trends continue, prices for many fruits and vegetables will increase by 25 to 50 per cent by 2019. This would add $30 to $60 to the average B.C. household’s monthly grocery bill, according to the report authors.
To combat these increased prices, the authors suggest investing and supporting local food systems and initiatives.
“More energy needs to be given to initiatives, both public and private, that work to increase local production, support new farmers accessing land, and transition under-utilized parcels of zoned agriculture lands into active production,” said Brent Mansfield, co-chair of BC Food Systems Network and a report author, in a prepared statement.
–With files from The Associated Press.
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