Price of Tomatoes Has a Lot to Do With These Thefts

[deminks]

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/15/business/15bandits.html?_r=1&smid=tw-nytimes&seid=auto

The high price of produce, especially for tomatoes after the deep winter freezes, has attracted more than heightened attention from consumers. A ring of sophisticated vegetable bandits was watching, too.

Late last month, a gang of thieves stole six tractor-trailer loads of tomatoes and a truck full of cucumbers from Florida growers. They also stole a truckload of frozen meat. The total value of the illegal haul: about $300,000.

The thieves disappeared with the shipments just after the price of Florida tomatoes skyrocketed after freezes that badly damaged crops in Mexico. That suddenly made Florida tomatoes a tempting target, on a par with flat-screen TVs or designer jeans, but with a big difference: tomatoes are perishable.

“I’ve never experienced people targeting produce loads before,” said Shaun Leiker, an assistant manager at Allen Lund, a trucking broker in Oviedo, Fla., that was hit three times by the thieves. “It’s a little different than selling TVs off the back of your truck.”

(end snip)

Robin Hood, or a speculator looking out for his forecasts?

[raccoon]

1. I believe it! I paid $2.48/lb for greenhouse tomatoes this week.

Invest in tomatoes, not gold!

[PassingFair]

2. Red Gold!

[Ratty]

3. And they're never any good either

You're lucky though. Here in the Bay Area "cluster" tomatoes are $3.99 lb. And they STILL don't have any flavor. I'm planting four tomatoes on my deck this weekend. 3 for canning and one for eating. I'm looking into one of those mini greenhouse things and see if I can grow some in Fall too.

[Mojorabbit]

4. Perhaps I should post armed guards around my tomato plants! nt