Fall is coming this week, are you ready for a food shortage

The official fall season arrives this Thursday at 9:04 p.m. when the autumnal equinox arrives in the Northeast. Some experts say people should prepare for some specific food shortages this fall and winter.

The World Health Organization has warned people around the world, including the United States, that people should prepare for food shortages later in 2022 and 2023. Many experts have said that won’t happen. probably not in the United States, but an agricultural expert in upstate New York says “be prepared, because a shortage is coming”.

Ben Simons de Boonville is a farmer and agricultural expert and the former director of the Oneida County Farm Bureau, who says a grain shortage could be coming to the United States. He predicted in the spring that some shortages of agricultural products in local grocery stores were inevitable and especially with products that consumers over the years have taken for granted.

“When you go grocery shopping, grab an extra can of corn every time you go,” Simons said. He suggested people start stocking their pantries and plan to can vegetables later this summer.

Simons said the evidence is overwhelming and goes well beyond the war in Ukraine. He said farmers have been unable to get the fertilizers they need this year and as a result many crop growers have been forced to let less fertile fields go dormant this year. Simons said the farmers couldn’t risk a major loss this year, so they chose not to plant. “A big loss like this could put them completely out of business,” he said.

Prices are based on supply and demand, Simons said, and therefore prices will continue to rise. Plus, he said, some products we take for granted to be on the shelves won’t be here this fall.

Foods that experts say could be part of a shortage later this year include eggs and dairy products, flour, grains and corn, fruits and vegetables including soybeans, canned goods and imported foods.

Simons says it’s a good idea to stock up now if you want Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner to feel somewhat normal.

“I don’t want to scare anyone,” Simons said. “It’s not like we’re going to starve, but there will be items that you’re used to always seeing in your grocery store that won’t be there.”