Extreme weather in Mexico has been impacting the availability of pickles in the US, leading to warnings from restaurants and concerns from consumers. The shortage is due to reduced supply from Mexico, with temperatures being too hot or too cold in key growing regions, impacting pickling cucumber growth. The US imports over a million tons of fresh cucumbers annually, with around 75% coming from Mexico, making a shortage in imports a significant concern for businesses.
El Nino, a climate cycle, has caused extreme weather across Mexico’s 31 states, affecting the harvesting of pickling cucumbers. The warm water in the central and eastern Pacific has led to increased rainfall and cooler conditions over the winter, impacting the growth of cucumbers. Drought conditions in various regions of Mexico have also led to low water levels in reservoirs, further impacting the cultivation of crops requiring adequate precipitation.
The National Water Commission in Mexico has restricted the flow of some water reservoirs due to increased demand, impacting the availability of water for crops like cucumbers. While most of Mexico’s annual rainfall occurs during the summer monsoon, the varying levels of activity make it an unreliable source of water for crops. The requirement of one inch of water per week for cucumbers means that drought conditions in Mexico are a significant concern for crop yields.
The US Department of Agriculture notes that the country’s production of cucumbers and certain types of squash has declined despite increased demand from consumers. While the consumption of healthy vegetables has grown by more than 24% in recent years, the United States International Trade Commission has found no merit in claims of unfair trading competition. Trade groups attribute the increase in imports of cucumbers to a lack of laborers, poor weather in the Southeast, and consumer preferences for Mexico’s products over domestic ones.
Imports from Mexico have become a major source of cucumber and squash supply in the US market, surpassing domestic production. The trend of increased imports from Mexico is consistent with the overall growth of US agricultural imports from the country. While Mexico’s production may struggle to overcome weather extremes, other countries in the Americas may be able to help address the pickle shortage in the US. The reliance on imports from Mexico has businesses in a pickle as they try to navigate the impacts of weather on the availability of the snack for consumers.
