Scorching Heat Pushes Food Prices Up as Harvests and Production Decline

Read the full story on Japan 2 Earth - Scorching Heat Pushes Food Prices Up as Harvests and Production Decline

The record-breaking scorching heat could lead to spikes in food prices that hit consumers hard. High temperatures are resulting in lower production at vegetable, dairy, and fish farms alike.

Bad Harvests

"We are only shipping out about one-tenth of our usual volume," reported the owner of the Naranja Farm in Shizuoka City. 

The intense heat has severely affected the growth of the farm's summer vegetables like bell peppers, eggplants, and tomatoes. Harvest yields are down significantly. "From next year, we'll need to start growing crops about two months earlier to avoid the heat," he added.

In the adjacent city of Yaizu, the Miwa Farm is facing similar difficulties. "Our shipments of eggplant have dropped by 30-50% compared to normal years. We haven't shipped out much okra at all," said a representative. Eggplants require a lot of water to grow, and there has been a lack of rain this summer. The result is dry, hardened vegetables that cannot be sold. 

These poor growth conditions are affecting retail prices too according to Tagoju, a supermarket chain in Shizuoka Prefecture. "Vegetables like eggplants, bell peppers, and cucumbers are in short supply, and prices are rising," said a representative.

Continue reading the full story on Japan 2 Earth to read more about how the fish farming and dairy industries have also been affected by the heat.

And find more great articles on the environment and the challenges of achieving the SDGs on our affiliated website Japan 2 Earth (J2E), sparking a transition to a sustainable future.

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(Read the article in Japanese.)

Author: The Sankei Shimbun