California’s Drought Withers Tomatoes, Pushing Grocery Prices Higher

California’s Drought Withers Tomatoes, Pushing Grocery Prices Higher
Processing tomatoes dried up by heat and drought hang on vines on a farm belonging to farmer Aaron Barcellos in Los Banos, Calif., on Sept. 6, 2022. Nathan Frandino/Reuters
Reuters
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FIREBAUGH, Calif.—A lack of rain and snow in central California and restricted water supplies from the Colorado River in the southernmost part of the state have withered summer crops like tomatoes and onions and threatened leafy greens grown in the winter.

That has added pressure to grocery prices, putting a squeeze on wallets with no end in sight.