Yes, (Some) Area Supermarkets Have No Bananas

BURLINGTON, MA -- Like Market Baskets across the region, the store on Middlesex Turnpike in Burlington started posting signs earlier this month saying that bananas were in short supply. Shoppers have complained about empty banana shelves as well as bananas that are too green or overripe. But not even two miles away at Wegman's, there's no trouble finding bananas in a range of greens and yellows.

There is a banana split in Massachusetts, and not the kind everyone loves. A banana shortage, thanks primarily to cooler and rainier weather in Central America, means some stores have them and some stores don't. A strike by Chiquita workers in Honduras over healthcare costs is also adding to the hit-or-miss nature of being able to cross bananas off your grocery list.

Jo Natale, Wegman's vice president of media relations, was unaware of the shortage until contacted by Patch. The reason she didn't know is that Dole, the chain's banana supplier, hasn't been as hard-hit as some other producers.

"It didn't affect us, but I reached out to Dole and they said there actually is a shortage," Natale said. "They did say that the supply is normalizing and that the shortage is behind them."

Patch reached out to other area supermarkets and will update this story when and if they get back to us with comments. In the meantime, you need only take to social media to find people venting about the banana shortage. Some shoppers were even offering updates on social media about where they had scored bananas that were not too green and not too brown.

Subscribe to Burlington Patch for more local news and real-time alerts.

Patch file photo.

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).