INDEPTH: FOOD
Hurricanes and higher prices
CBC News Online | October 6, 2004
This summer's quartet of hurricanes has devastated crops in the Caribbean and southeastern U.S., but consumers will likely be insulated from shortages and higher prices in the grocery store.
In Florida, citrus growers lost $7.2 million US in production this year, but the state's largest citrus growing group said consumers shouldn't notice much of a difference in price. Most of the loss was in juice oranges, and the industry reported a 42-week supply before the storms hit, thanks to last year's bumper crop.
As well, many groceries can rely on other states for their citrus: oranges from California, grapefruit from Texas.
However, consumers may notice a difference over the winter, when groceries get some of their fresh produce – peppers, cucumbers, radishes, eggplant, tomatoes, squash and zucchini – from southeastern states.
Besides fruits and vegetables, the storms hit other crops, as well.
Sugar growers reported losses in both Jamaica – where 35 per cent of the sugarcane crop was damaged – and Florida. Growers there estimated a 12 per cent loss, but said they wouldn't know for sure until the crop is harvested.
In Georgia, counties are reporting pecan crop losses from 50 per cent to 85 per cent, with major damage to trees. The state is responsible for more than half the U.S. production of the nut. There was also substantial damage to the state's peanut crop.
Hurricane Ivan all but wiped out Grenada's nutmeg groves, trees that will take 15 years to grow to maturity again. To the economy of the island country, it's a devastating loss, but the spice is also grown in its native Indonesia and in Malaysia.
In Haiti, though, the fear is not of an industry collapsing, but of widespread famine. Peasants there mainly farm for their own families or for local markets, growing rice, beans, corn and bananas. Hurricanes Frances, Ivan and Jeanne washed much of that away, and farmers could lose next year's crops as well, if irrigation systems aren't repaired in time for the dry season in November.
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Guidelines for Healthy Eating
1. Enjoy a variety of foods.
2. Emphasize cereals, breads, other grain products, vegetables and fruit.
3. Choose lower-fat dairy products, leaner meats and food prepared with little or no fat.
4. Achieve and maintain a healthy body weight by enjoying regular physical activity and healthy eating.
5. Limit salt, alcohol and caffeine.
Source: Health Canada
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