Industry sources say garlic prices are running high this year due to short supply, with China's harvest disrupted by significant rainfall that caused crop damage. Clara Shih of Best Buy Produce International confirms the situation directly: "This year's garlic prices will be high because it's short."
China is the dominant global supplier of garlic to North America, so weather-driven production losses there have an outsized impact on import availability and pricing. Buyers who didn't lock in forward contracts earlier this season are likely feeling the squeeze now.
Watch for this to persist through the remainder of the calendar year, as garlic supply chains have long lead times and domestic U.S. production is not large enough to offset Chinese shortfalls. Category managers should review current inventory positions and supplier pricing closely.