New consumer price data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows produce inflation is accelerating sharply. From June 2025 to June 2026, tomato prices rose roughly 20% and lettuce prices surged approximately 32% year-over-year. Fresh vegetables overall posted significant gains, driven by a combination of supply disruptions and elevated input costs.
These numbers go beyond the broad inflation trends already reported. The commodity-level breakdown — particularly the 32% spike in lettuce — directly reflects the supply pressure hitting leafy greens from weather stress in Salinas, quality issues flagged in recent weeks, and now the Cyclospora investigation pulling Central Mexico iceberg off the market. Tomato inflation lines up with ongoing tightness in key growing regions.
For buyers and category managers, these figures are worth sharing with retail partners now. Promotional planning and cost conversations will need to account for the reality that produce price increases at this scale are not short-term noise — they reflect structural supply and cost pressures building across multiple categories simultaneously.