Prices for canned tomato goods could rise as California farms stay soggy after record rain
Ketchup, spaghetti sauce, tomato soup and salsa, all staples in the American kitchen, may be in short supply with higher prices this summer after record rainfall saturated California’s tomato fields. With soil still too wet for planting, farmers postponed the season’s start by three weeks, which could translate into a shortage of tomato-based items this summer, according to individual farmers and the California Tomato Growers Association. The most dire predictions come from farmers themselves, who say some of them could be forced out of the tomato-growing business.