Lately, the price of foodstuffs has been climbing high. Walk into a store and ask for fresh vegetables, meat, or even pantry staples like rice and bread. Then, compare the price with a few months back, and you’ll see the big difference. Indeed, there are many factors responsible for the rise. However, one of the main reasons is something you might not expect: weather.
It may sound surprising because many think weather is just about melting ice caps and hotter summers. It’s even portrayed as an entertainment theme in movies and games on sites like Verde Casino. However, weather is a serious global concern that directly affects the food we eat. Read on as we discuss how.
Weather and Agriculture
In agriculture, there’s something called favorable weather. Some crops need a particular condition for them to survive and grow properly. It could be the right amount of rain, sunlight, or mild humidity. As the weather fluctuates, we’re getting more droughts, heavy storms, and unusual weather patterns. All these contribute to making it harder for farmers to grow food.
Good examples are cereal crops like corn and wheat. Too much heat or not enough water can cause severe damage and even kill them. So, they need the right amount of these natural elements to survive. Also, heavy rains can lead to flooding, washing away surface crops before they are ready for harvest. This will leave farmers with very little produce, and the price will surely increase to balance the loss.
Low Crop Yields and Higher Prices
Low crop yield is a condition when farmers can’t grow enough food because of factors like bad weather. This means that the harvest for that year fell below expectations, and the produce wouldn’t be enough if it were meant to go around. According to the laws of supply and demand, when there’s less of something, it becomes more expensive.
Let’s imagine there’s a severe drought during the sowing season. This is sure to affect the amount of wheat that will be harvested. Like a chain reaction, there’ll be less bread and pasta in grocery stores because they are gotten from wheat. Anywhere you come across bread, you’ll find that it may be 3x the usual price. The same thing happens with other crops like fruits, vegetables, and rice, which all boils down to weather.
Transportation and Distribution
Weather does not only affect how these cash crops are grown. It also makes it difficult to get them to your local grocery store. Extreme weather conditions like floods, hurricanes, and sometimes wildfires can threaten the transportation of these products. If a storm hits a place where food is being shipped from, there’ll be a hold until the weather is safe again. These delays, of course, will introduce extra costs to the already high price of the produce. If petrol prices increase because of weather-related issues, food transport costs will also spike.
Remember that perishable items like fruits, vegetables, and dairy products can get bad if left on the road for too long. All these issues add up, and it gets down to you, the consumer when you buy these groceries.
Rising Costs of Farming Inputs and Grocery Bills
A successful harvest requires many resources to keep things running smoothly and in good condition. These resources are called farming inputs. Some are seeds, water, fertilizers, and pesticides to control pests. Like other things mentioned, weather is making these inputs more expensive.
Farmers need more water to keep crops alive and growing as droughts increase. Undoubtedly, getting this extra water will come at a cost. Because of the changing weather, different crop pests and diseases will come into play. To keep things running smoothly, the farmer must use pesticides to control them. This will also add to the overall expenses.
Lastly, not all seeds can withstand harsh weather conditions. The ones that can are usually very expensive because they have been treated with fertilizers and other chemicals. Consequently, it becomes hard for commercial farmers to produce food cheaply, and the costs are passed down to buyers.
What Are the Potential Solutions to Weather for Food Production?
Weather is making it more costly to grow, transport, and raise the food we eat. This is just one of the many reasons your grocery bills are rising. What can we do about it? Well, we can start by encouraging small-scale farming practices. Also, buying from local farms that use eco-friendly methods can help reduce the impact of weather in the long run.
