Upstate NY Farmer: Prepare for Shortage of Some Foods This Fall and Winter

The World Health Organization has warned people around the world, including the United States, that people should prepare for a food shortage later in 2022. Many experts have said it won't happen in the U.S., but one farming expert in Upstate New York says "prepare, because a shortage is coming."

Ben Simons of Boonville is a farmer and farming expert and the former director of the Oneida County Farm Bureau, who claims that by July it will be much more evident that a food shortage, specifically a grain shortage is coming to the United States. He says by the end of June, prices will begin to spike on some agricultural products in local grocery stores that consumers over the years have taken for granted.

"When you do your grocery shopping, pick up an extra can of corn each time you go," Simons said. He suggested that people begin to stock up their pantry and plan to can vegetables later this summer.

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Simons said the evidence is glaring and it's well beyond the war in Ukraine. He said farmers have been unable to obtain the fertilizers they need this year and as a result, many crop producers have been forced to allow less fertile fields to go dormant this year. Simons said the farmers couldn't risk a major loss this year so they opted not to plant. "A big loss like this could completely put them out of business," he said.

Prices are based on supply and demand, Simons said, and as a result prices will continue to go up. Additionally, he said, some products that we take for granted to be on the shelves will not be there this fall.

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

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