If you like tomatoes, be ready to pay a steep price, especially if you want fresh tomatoes.
Bev Fenstermacher got a supply of tomatoes Monday for Original Italian Pizza and Restaurant in Muncy. Fenstermacher is the manager and said the tomatoes cost three times more than what she paid for them last week.
"We don't not want to offer them but it's just a lot of money," said Fenstermacher.
According to the U. S. Department of Agriculture the bitter old temps in Florida this winter have affected tomato crops, causing a nationwide shortage. Now most tomatoes are coming from Mexico and nearly all types have gone up in price.
Fenstermacher said last week a case cost $15 week. It's about $45 this week from Mexico. The manager said if prices don't go down, she will take fresh tomatoes off the menu.
"We don't want to have to raise our prices due to the economy so what we are going to have to do is put up a sign that says due to the price of tomatoes we won't use them right now," added Fenstermacher.
The tomato shortage may actually mean an increase in sales at Furmano's Cannery near Northumberland. The current price hike won't hurt Furmano's because the company has enough canned tomatoes on hand to last until a new local crop is ready this summer.
"If you are looking for a sliced tomato to put on a sandwich there is no substitute for that but there are a lot of different areas we can substitute with our can products," said David Geise, CEO of Furmano's.
Prices of tomatoes are expected to fall by April, when Florida farmers begin harvesting a new crop.
Bev Fenstermacher got a supply of tomatoes Monday for Original Italian Pizza and Restaurant in Muncy. Fenstermacher is the manager and said the tomatoes cost three times more than what she paid for them last week.
"We don't not want to offer them but it's just a lot of money," said Fenstermacher.
According to the U. S. Department of Agriculture the bitter old temps in Florida this winter have affected tomato crops, causing a nationwide shortage. Now most tomatoes are coming from Mexico and nearly all types have gone up in price.
Fenstermacher said last week a case cost $15 week. It's about $45 this week from Mexico. The manager said if prices don't go down, she will take fresh tomatoes off the menu.
"We don't want to have to raise our prices due to the economy so what we are going to have to do is put up a sign that says due to the price of tomatoes we won't use them right now," added Fenstermacher.
The tomato shortage may actually mean an increase in sales at Furmano's Cannery near Northumberland. The current price hike won't hurt Furmano's because the company has enough canned tomatoes on hand to last until a new local crop is ready this summer.
"If you are looking for a sliced tomato to put on a sandwich there is no substitute for that but there are a lot of different areas we can substitute with our can products," said David Geise, CEO of Furmano's.
Prices of tomatoes are expected to fall by April, when Florida farmers begin harvesting a new crop.
