Shea Simmons
When it comes to summer cookouts, ketchup and mustard are staple condiments. Unfortunately, though, mustard might be harder to come by soon, or at least a bit more expensive.
According to reporting from Business Insider, a squeeze (no pun intended) in the supply chain could lead to a mustard shortage in the United States as well as higher prices.
There are a few different factors at play when it comes to mustard production, but one of the main issues is a lack of mustard seed supply. Canada, a major mustard seed producer, has seen its production fall by 28%, and France’s supply dipped 50% in 2021. These production issues are being chalked up to droughts and generally poor weather conditions.
The war in Ukraine is also causing fears of a shortage. Both Ukraine and Russia are mustard seed producers, and while production levels in Canada and France might have been compensated for with their crop, the war is causing supply chain issues with importing.
So is a mustard shortage guaranteed? No. In fact, consumers in the United States will likely still be able to fairly easily access mustard, but there could be price increases. With limited supply of mustard seed and existing issues with transportation and production costs, a price change is more likely to be on the horizon than a shortage.
While you’re at the grocery store, don’t scramble to buy mustard, but you might want to bulk up your grocery shopping budget a bit. Oh, and you also might want to grab some sriracha while you’re there.
