The Cost Of: How shopping 'in season' could help you save money
Experts say shopping "in season" helps bring cost down, especially when there is good production.
As you make your grocery list, there are some fruits and vegetables you may want to add. Experts say shopping "in season" helps bring cost down, especially when there is good production.
Brad Rubin, Wells Fargo Agri-Food Institute sector manager, says, "when we have really strong yield in production in the fields, American consumers actually reap the benefit."
When it comes to tomatoes Rubin says, "The Florida harvest is rapidly ramping up and picking up strong good supply, good quality coming out of the state you also have Culiacan Mexican harvest in the spring here hitting the markets. So, what you have is with round and Roma and snacking tomatoes you are seeing a little bit more supply into the market which is then providing a little bit more promotable prices in the markets."
You can also save with a salad. Rubin says the lettuce crop is also really strong with high quality, meaning you save money.
And when it comes to potatoes Rubin says, "A lot of potatoes are grown in Canada and to get ahead of any kind of tariffs a lot of the Canadian producers where shipping product into the states before those tariffs hit. That said the US, Mexico, Canada agreement, the USMCA, basically is in compliance at the moment. So there is over 300 pages of agricultural commodities listed in that agreement, which don't receive any tariffs, so right now the US is compliant with the USMCA, it very well could change in the future, I have no idea however that is one of the dynamics with potatoes is that again we have ample seed, we have ample supply, which puts it a little bit downward pressure on prices."
As we head into the summer, Rubin says there will be some promotable berry prices coming soon, as all three regions are growing and producing.
