Don’t look now but the price of one of your favorite summer treats might be skyrocketing! Global shortages of vanilla, which is already the second most expensive spice to cultivate, are expected to quadruple in the coming months. That means the price of a single scoop of ice cream could soar just in time for its peak season.
The coming crisis started over a year ago. Production problems in Madagascar, the global leader in vanilla production, started with lowered flowering yields in 2014. This led some vanilla suppliers to “stock up” in 2015 causing a shortage on the market. Exasperating the problem is the fact that many farmers started harvesting the crop earlier than normal as they anticipated the crisis.
Premature harvesting led to a reduction in quality and a weaker vanilla bean. That means more is needed to achieve the desired flavor exactly at a time when global supplies are down. The trickle down effect could impact not only ice cream, but many of your favorite bakery items as well.
This is coming at a time when the ever reliable Farmer’s Almanac is calling for a hotter than usual summer on the Eastern Seaboard of the United States. That means in places like New York, where folks aren’t known for their patience, could be historically tense if citizens aren’t able to find or afford one of their favorite summer treats.
Now may be the time for New Yorkers, as well as ice cream lovers everywhere, to stock up on the creamy treat. According to the International Dairy Foods Association, the average American consumes 22-pounds of ice cream every year. If you’re not willing to suffer some very nasty withdrawal, you’d better start hoarding your Ben and Jerry’s.
What will you do if the price ice cream rises exponentially this summer? Leave comments below.
