SAN DIEGO — As the World Series gets underway, the national snack food of another sports institution is under siege. The price of avocados, the key ingredient in guacamole, may be higher when the Super Bowl rolls around in February because of the fires raging in Southern California.
More than 20,000 acres of avocado trees in northern San Diego County have been lost, at least a third of the state’s crop, with another 15,000 acres threatened by flames, emergency officials said.
State farmers usually plant about 62,000 acres of avocados, and the industry is worth about $276 million annually, state Department of Agriculture spokesman Jay Van Rein said.
“If they can survive the fire, they can still harvest later,” Van Rein said.
The Associated Press
