A shortage of the particular chili pepper used to create hot pepper sauce in the Caribbean is threatening to stifle supply, while sending costs for the region's producers soaring, says BBC News.
A confluence of extreme weather, disease and pests is making core ingredient Scotch bonnet peppers particularly hard to source, manufacturers say.
The temperamental little, yellow fruit with its susceptibility to heavy rain and viruses can be tough to grow at the best of times, but a series of hurricanes in Jamaica, a prime producer of Scotch bonnets, has strained supplies further.
BBC reports that some producers have seen success by using high-yielding, hybrid red chili peppers, which have shown resilience to disease. But traditionalists say that’s not the way to go. The Jamaican government has been working to help farmers get back on their feet. That included supplying Scotch bonnet seeds to 650 growers.
