California's drought-stricken rice crop likely to send US sushi prices higher
SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Politico] by Bill Tomson - September 16, 2014
Sushi eaters could face sticker shock the next time they order a California roll or check the box for another round of yellowtail nigiri.
Thanks to the historic drought in California, prices may spike for the specialty rice used in the popular Japanese dish. Production of the rice, which is grown primarily in the Golden State, is expected to drop by 25 percent this year.
California — and the Sacramento Valley in particular — is the nation’s primary source for the high-quality short- and medium-grain rice used in sushi and is a major supplier of the rice for other countries, too. But the state’s 2,500 rice growers this year planted just 420,000 acres, about a quarter fewer than usual, because farmers weren’t allowed to use water for more, according to the California Rice Commission...
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