California Lettuce Growers Destroy Millions of Heads Amid Outbreak

A nationwide cyclosporiasis outbreak has forced California lettuce growers to destroy millions of heads of healthy produce and implement worker layoffs. Federal health officials report more than 17,000 illnesses and two deaths, with the largest cluster of infections linked to iceberg lettuce grown in Mexico by Taylor Farms.

Although produce from the Salinas Valley has not been implicated in the outbreak, consumer avoidance of leafy greens has caused a severe market slump. Church Brothers Farms plowed approximately 3.9 million heads of lettuce back into the soil to avoid harvesting costs and slashed worker hours at its San Juan Bautista facility. The Western Growers Association reported a nearly 30 percent drop in sales linked to the crisis.

The United States Department of Agriculture reports that summer production of romaine and iceberg lettuce has hit a 25-year low. While sales are beginning to recover as the outbreak subsides, industry leaders and local officials in Salinas remain concerned about the long-term economic impact and future planting risks.