US Update: Wholesale food prices are on the rise

Food prices are rising sharply even before they reach supermarket shelves.Why it matters: Americans are already paying more for groceries.

New inflation data this week suggests that the pressure is not letting up.Wholesale fresh and dry vegetable prices surged 27% last month, adding to a 31% price jump the previous month.

These are the prices paid by food distributors, grocery chains and other businesses to farmers and other producers for eventual sale to consumers.

Wholesale food prices overall are up 1.7% from a year earlier, ending a three-month streak of annual price declines.Zoom in: Unusually warm weather, crop disease and insect infestations have reduced lettuce and other leafy green harvests in California.

The Iran war, meanwhile, has driven up the cost of fertilizer and fuel, making it more expensive to grow and transport food.

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