Raspberry prices in U.S. have doubled since January due to reduced supply caused by heatwaves and heavy rains. The Iran war has exacerbated food price problems in general, and fresh fruit in particular, which requires more fuel to produce. A single Raspberry reached 20 cents mid-week.
The United States and Israel launched their war on Iran at the end of February. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which approximately 25% of the world’s oil and gas, as well as a third of its fertilizers, passes, has caused prices of all these commodities to skyrocket, impacting all goods, especially food products.
According to a report seen by Food & Climate, berries were among the first products to be quickly affected, as they are among the most sensitive fresh fruits and vegetables. Berries die if the soil is too wet, and they are best picked by hand. Transporting them is also difficult; they should be stored lightly in refrigerated trucks that run on diesel fuel, and even on airplanes, berries must be refrigerated.
All these factors make berries one of the most fuel-intensive produce in the fruit and vegetable section.
Raspberry prices in U.S. Double
Raspberry prices in U.S. were already high before the Iran war, and wholesale prices for fresh raspberries have more than doubled since January 2026, according to reports from the Federal Agricultural Marketing Service.
At Whole Foods Market in Atlanta on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, a 6-ounce plastic container of organic berries cost about $8, or 20 cents per raspberry, according to (The New York Times)
“That’s outrageous,” said Katia McGee, a mother and regular berry shopper, who opted instead for a 16-ounce package of organic strawberries for $4.99, according to the newspaper.
Read also: Why US farmers will abandon corn farming after the Iran war?
She added: “Raspberries are often the first category where consumers notice higher fuel prices. When fuel prices rise, those costs are passed through the supply chain almost instantly.”
Food price forecasts before and after the war
Before the war in Iran began on February 28, the U.S. Department of Agriculture projected that food prices would be only slightly higher in 2026 than the previous year.
The report also predicted that restaurant prices would rise slightly more than grocery prices, but overall, consumers would only see a price increase of about 3%. However, a revised report from the ministry in March warned that food bills could rise by as much as 6.1% this year.
Prices for perishable goods and many staple foods are expected to rise by more than 6%, according to government and industry forecasts.
The price of bread and cereals could jump by 10%, and ground beef could rise by 7% or 8% by June, with premium cuts reaching more than $9 per pound.
However, many unknowns remain, such as the impact of rising crude oil prices on the cost of plastic packaging made from petroleum derivatives, or when shipping will resume through the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a third of the world’s chemical fertilizer supply typically passes.
The weakening dollar
President Donald Trump’s trade policies have contributed to higher prices for raspberry prices in U.S., as they are an imported product. The dollar’s depreciation has further exacerbated the price hikes.
Read also: Proposed Fertilizer Transparency Act in U.S. to combat higher prices due to Iran war
Insurance costs and labor costs have also increased, at a time when American food production and processing relies heavily on foreign labor, which is steadily declining due to the Trump administration’s immigration policies.
The factors driving up raspberry prices in U.S. apply to most fresh produce, such as pineapples. Producing Del Monte pineapples in Central America requires significant amounts of oil and gas, in addition to the fuel needed to transport them by truck to ports.
This fuel is used to power the ships that deliver them to distribution centers and the trucks that transport them to grocery stores. Along the way, they must be kept refrigerated, requiring even more fuel.
Raspberries face other challenges. The Department of Agriculture issued a market alert last month, indicating that demand for the fruit far exceeded supply.
Among the contributing factors were extreme heat and heavy rainfall, as well as supply gaps as the raspberries season in Mexico drew to a close and its season in Southern California began.
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