Unscathed Drought Unlikely to Affect Produce at Store Level Bob Youmans, whose family has farmed in Furman, S.C., since the Colonial days, surveys his cornfield, turned brown from drought and heat. As many of the nation's farmers watch their crops shrivel in a historic drought, consumers need not fear that their own wallets will dry up as a result, experts say. Vineyards in the Northeast are thriving during the drought conditions. Although the peaches may be a little smaller, the sweet corn slightly premature, and the cucumbers a tad pricier, the Department of Agriculture and industry experts say that whatever the price increases on produce, they will be short-term and minimal.
Experts echo that view.
That's good news considering that the dry season has hit the Northeast region hard. But experts say a national surplus of product is one main reason consumers can remain worry-free. The only possible pinch that consumers could face is an added shipping cost in the case that more produce would have to be shipped in to specific regions. But so far wholesale prices have generally been untouched. In the meantime, the farmers will have to deal with Mother Nature's wrath.