'It puts the grocery stores at risk': Fresh produce may become scarce due to supply chain issues
Manitobans may see fewer options for fresh fruits and vegetables – and possibly higher price tags for them – in the weeks ahead.
“We’re being told there’s going to be an issue with produce, fruits and vegetables,” said Munther Zeid, owner and manager of Food Fare, a Winnipeg-based independent grocer.
Right now, Zeid said plenty of produce is still in supply, though that could soon change as inventory shipments are experiencing delays.
“There’s a lot of it sitting on the docks in Vancouver,” he said, “It’s been a few days already so it could be bad by the time shipping starts.”
Food Fare isn’t the only grocery store to experience supply chain-related shipment issues.
“Omicron is basically ripping through the entire food supply chain right across the country, right across North America,” said Gary Sands, vice president of public policy and advocacy for the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers.
Produce inventory is becoming particularly scarce because, amid the winter months, fresh fruits and vegetables are largely coming in from international suppliers, said Sands, and delivery times are getting longer.
Sands said the new vaccine mandate for truckers, which is taking some vehicles off the road, is a contributing factor.
“Certain products, oranges, bananas, fresh fruits and vegetables. We’re definitely not getting those in the quantities or in the timeframes we would expect under normal conditions.”
Truck transport is one of the primary ways produce – and many other products – arrive in the province, according to the Supply Chain Management Association.
With that in mind, rising fuel costs could also mean what fresh fruits and vegetables are available in stores could become more expensive.
“If we see fuel costs continue to stay where they are, or up even further, then yes that becomes part of the total cost of getting those products to the shelves here in Manitoba,” said Richard Reid, executive director of the Manitoba branch of the Supply Chain Management Association.
Hiking up prices, however, isn’t a foolproof plan for grocers, said Reid, as customers may turn away from a higher price tag.
“It puts the grocery stores at risk because it’s a cost to them and if all of a sudden people aren’t buying their products, and they’re having to toss them out, then financially they’re going to take a hit,” said Reid.
At Food Fare, Zeid said some produce may increase by 10 to 20 per cent in price.
But he’s asking customers to not panic buy, which could contribute to the problem.
“If we start hoarding we’ll start feeling it and cause issues that don’t need to happen or prices to go up that don’t need to,” he said.
“It’s supply and demand.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
AstraZeneca says it will withdraw COVID-19 vaccine globally as demand dips
AstraZeneca said on Tuesday it had initiated the worldwide withdrawal of its COVID-19 vaccine due to a 'surplus of available updated vaccines' since the pandemic.
Toronto police seek suspect vehicle after security guard shot outside Drake's mansion
Toronto police are seeking help from the public as they continue to investigate a shooting that seriously injured a security guard outside rapper Drake's mansion.
'Ozempic babies': Reports of surprise pregnancies raise new questions about weight loss drugs
Numerous women have shared stories of 'Ozempic babies' on social media. But the joy some experience in discovering pregnancies may come with anxiety about the unknowns.
OPINION What King Charles' schedule being too 'full' to accommodate son suggests
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
Seafood, eat food: Calgary Stampede releases Midway menu
The Calgary Stampede has released its menu of sweet, salty and spicy treats available on the Midway for the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth.
Boy Scouts of America is rebranding. Here's why they've changed their name
After more than a century, Boy Scouts of America is rebranding as Scouting America, another major shakeup for an organization that once proudly resisted change.
World's record-breaking hot temperature streak stretches through April
The world just experienced its hottest April on record, extending an 11-month streak in which every month set a temperature record, the European Union's climate change monitoring service said on Wednesday.
Most of Canada to receive emergency alert test today
The federal government will test its capacity to issue emergency alerts today, with the exception of Ontario, where the test will take place on May 15.