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Bitter reality: US sees Christmas candy cane shortage

If you’ve had trouble finding peppermint candy canes in stores this year, you’re not alone. Candy makers have been plagued with a number of issues during the pandemic that have led to short supplies of the popular treat this year, Reuters reported.

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Part of the issue is a shortage of sugar, as suppliers have limited sales to manufacturers, Reuters reported. Domestic sugar crops were destroyed when Hurricane Ida hit Louisiana, and Brazil’s sugar crops have been hit hard by drought.

Peppermint is also becoming scarcer. Peppermint production has been decreasing each year in the United States, according to the Department of Agriculture. U.S. mint crops, which include spearmint and peppermint, are threatened by a fungal disease that can wipe out entire fields, but can’t be killed with a fungicide, Food and Wine reported.

Supply chain issues have also been causing problems as manufacturers work to get candy canes to customers. Hammond’s Candies, the largest wholesale supplier of U.S. handmade candy canes, is unable to fully staff its 250-person crew, Reuters reported.

Patrick Penfield, a professor of supply chain practice at Syracuse University, told USA Today: “As you walk through a lot of stores you won’t see the quantity and quality of items you are accustomed to seeing. Unfortunately as we progress through the holiday season, we are seeing more bare shelves and stockouts of popular items.” Penfield told USA Today some of the shortages may be regional as well, due to labor and truck shortages.

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