Raspberry Prices Double, Largely Due to Iran War
AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki
If your weekly grocery trip has left you hesitating over a container of raspberries, the cost may be more than a seasonal flare-up. Prices for fresh raspberries in the U.S. have surged dramatically since the start of the year. At an Atlanta Whole Foods, a 6-ounce package of organic berries recently sold for nearly $8—roughly 20 cents per berry, according to the New York Times. Analysts point to the ongoing war in Iran as a significant factor: disruptions in oil and gas supplies have driven U.S. diesel prices up by 35% in just one month, sharply increasing costs for items that rely on refrigerated transportation, including berries and pineapples.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture had projected a modest 3% rise in food prices for 2026, but it now warns that grocery and restaurant bills could climb as much as 6.1%. Bread, cereal, and ground beef are among the products likely to see notable increases. Meanwhile, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development forecast that overall U.S. inflation could exceed 4% this year.
Alex Jacquez, a policy analyst at the Groundwork Collaborative, describes the jump in fuel costs as a “first-order effect” of the conflict, with broader “second-order effects” rippling across crop prices, technology components, and other goods. “Eventually, some of these increases we’re seeing are going to pass through the supply chain,” Jacquez says, whether in the next week’s orders or the next month’s shipments.
For fresh produce like berries, the war compounds existing pressures: a weaker dollar, higher insurance and labor costs, tariffs on imports, and climate-driven weather extremes. “Raspberries offer a clear snapshot of multiple economic pressures that were already in place before the conflict in Iran,” says Chris Barrett, a Cornell University professor of agricultural economics. The outcome is noticeable at the store: limited selection, inconsistent quality, and steep prices. Some shoppers are responding by waiting for discounts or simply skipping raspberries when costs spike.
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