News

Fungus hits tomato crops in Northeast

July 28, 2009

A severe outbreak of late blight fungus is sweeping through tomato crops throughout the Northeast and also could affect potatoes,according to a storyin the New York Times.

Several experts said consumers should be prepared to pay high prices for tomatoes this summer. Organic farmers are sustaining much of the damage, according to the story.

In the Hudson Valley region of New York, the disease has jumped from tomatoes to potatoes. Some farmers are burning plants in an effort to prevent the spread of the fungus.

Farmers took a hit last year over a salmonella outbreak that was originallyblamed on tomatoesbut was latertraced to jalapenos.

In June, several news organizationsreportedthat crop scientists feared an ancient fungus could wipe out more than 80 percent of worldwide wheat crops as it spreads from eastern Africa.