Mexico sees 30% jump in vegetable prices as extreme weather fuels pest outbreaks

Over the past weeks excessive humidity, heavy rains and atypical hailstorms have damaged crops in Mexico's main production regions, causing a shortage of daily vegetables such as radish, lettuce, cilantro and cabbage. Prices have risen around 30 %, with a local trader telling reporters that the cost is now 50‑55 pesos per kilo. Farmers say the moisture has triggered hard‑to‑control pest outbreaks and forced them to obtain emergency financing to try to salvage remaining produce.

The episode reflects a larger shift in which climate extremes are becoming a direct driver of food‑price inflation in Latin America. Droughts, floods and heat waves raise production costs, strain logistics and erode the purchasing power of vulnerable households. Analysts note that climate‑related inflation now joins traditional monetary and energy factors in shaping everyday food costs.