Price of vegetables shoots up nearly 40% in Massachusetts. What's behind the surge?

CBS News

2 days ago

The price of wholesale and dry vegetables shot up nearly 40% compared to this time last year and a Massachusetts expert spoke with WBZ-TV about what's behind the surge.
As food prices go up across the country, Boston's Haymarket stands as one of few places where shoppers can still find a deal. The question is, for how much longer? According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, from June to July, the cost of wholesale vegetables skyrocketed 38.9%, leaving market vendors feeling pressured to balance rising supply costs with customers who expect the same low prices.
"Sometimes it's so high, it's ridiculous. You can't sell anything to make a profit," said Henry, who's been vending at Haymarket for years.
TT Tilleo, another vendor, echoed that sentiment saying, "We pay more and our customers over here still want the same deals."
Tufts University professor William Masters, who teaches at the Friedman School of Nutrition and Department of Economics, said the price increase shouldn't be a surprise for seasoned vendors.
"Thirty-eight percent is a big jump, and if you're a vegetable trader, you've seen that before," said Masters.
Masters said that the price surge is part of a random fluctuation. "It has to do with weather, has to do with some supply disruption or a spike in demand," he explained.
According to the professor, trends like tariffs and fewer immigrant workers, will only cause vegetables prices to soar even higher.
"If you look at the statistics, you can begin to have a sense of how the randomness is big and real, and the trends are big and real," Masters said. "We see the consumer in the end, after a period of weeks, paying the bulk of the tariffs."
Despite the challenges, vendors said they're committed to keeping the market's bargaining tradition alive.
"We're still over here just trying to survive and help everybody out because you know, it's a give and take," said Tilleo.