Climate change & environment-related crisis can hit a country from the most unexpected direction or you can say from every direction. Similarly, the people of the United States of America are witnessing the Sriracha Sauce shortage. Yes! you heard it right. Americans' beloved red hot sauce- Sriracha Sauce shortage has left the country in a worrisome state, at least to those who use this product in their daily food lifestyle. It is said that the due to the shortage of Sriracha Sauce, the prices of it are also skyrocketing day by day. However, multiple reports suggest that Sriracha Sauce Shortage is not a reality of America but of a particular company i.e. for Huy Fong Foods. For the unversed, the shortage of Huy Fong Foods' Sriracha, the beloved red hot sauce packaged in those green-capped bottles is not new. The company has often pointed to a scarcity of chile pepper supply for several years now. As a result, with less Huy Fong Foods' Sriracha Sauce available at shelves of the marketplaces in US, third-party sellers are amping up the price in order cash in dollars from the shortage. Now, the question arise why Huy Fong Foods is unable to cater to the demands of Sriracha Sauce in America. Let's understand in detail-
Sriracha Sauce Shortage & Huy Fong Foods
The major reason behind Sriracha Sauce Shortage is climate change due to which there is less production of red jalapeno pepper crop. As per reports, Mexico is the largest producer of red jalapeno pepper crop. However, due to unprecedented dry weather conditions, red jalapeno pepper crop has failed to yield products. The red jalapeno pepper crop is the key ingredient of siracha sauce. Apart from Mexico, red jalapenos can also be found in New Mexico, Texas and California, all areas that have experiencing a megadrought over the past few years. As per Forbes, large sections of the growing area in Mexico rely on water from the Colorado river, which has itself been depleted in recent times. As US farms on the banks of the river have 1st rights at the water, Mexican farmers now must adapt their growing processes to leverage less water.
Now, those who think red jalapenos can grow up even in dry hot conditions. Well, they are right, However, even though jalapenos are more tolerant to an arid climate than other peppers, the extreme weather over an extended period has led to a lack of water, and ultimately crop failure.Huy Fong Foods has often stated that over the past few years, it is getting difficult for it to cater to the demands of the red hot sauce in America.
As per reports, Huy Fong Sriracha, which used to go for under $5 or $10 a bottle, is now selling for shocking amounts in some listings posted to sites with vast third-party marketplaces — including Amazon, eBay and Walmart. Many are simply sold out. Till Thursday morning ads for a single 17-ounce bottle on eBay stretched from around $20 to a whopping $150.
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The California-based company, Huy Fong was quoted saying, "Because we do not sell directly to retail/market levels, we cannot determine when the product will hit shelves again and/or who currently has the product in stock....We are grateful for your continued patience and understanding during this unprecedented inventory shortage."