Fresh Vegetable Prices Rose 10 Percent as Tariffs, Weather, and Fuel Costs Cut Supplies

Tomato prices rose roughly one-fifth from June 2025 to June 2026 while lettuce prices increased 32 percent, according to consumer price data published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Prices for all fresh vegetables rose about 10 percent over the same period.

Apples increased 7 percent and citrus fruit prices rose 6 percent. Fortune reported that the U.S. -Mexico Tomato Suspension Agreement. The withdrawal imposed a 17 percent antidumping duty on most tomato imports from Mexico.

Imports account for about three-quarters of the U.S. tomato supply, with Mexico supplying the overwhelming majority of foreign-grown tomatoes. Tomato imports dropped 13 percent year over year after the agreement ended.

Unusual freezes in Florida in early 2026 damaged citrus, strawberries, blueberries, tomatoes and sweet corn crops. Fertilizer prices paid to manufacturers jumped more than 20 percent year over year in June 2026, with nitrogen fertilizer prices rising 46 percent. Fuel prices increased roughly 27 percent over the year due to the Iran war.

Refrigerated truck rates were 20 percent higher in June 2026 than in June 2025. Producer costs account for only about one-third of the retail price for fresh produce. A May 2026 survey found that one in three households reported cutting fresh produce purchases because of higher prices.

Prices for processed produce increased 3 percent year over year, while frozen produce prices rose 2.4 percent. One in five shoppers reported shifting from fresh to frozen produce.