Students feeling run down by finals have something in common with tomatoes this year.

Tomato crops have been hit hard by floods in California, hurricanes in Florida and bug infestations in Mexico. The bad luck has hit three of the United States’ biggest tomato producers, causing a tomato shortage that has significantly impacted the food industry.

“Prices have changed literally daily in the past three weeks,” said Bob Cummings, owner of three local restaurants.

Cummings said The Cafe, 2616 Northridge Parkway, a restaurant that strives to provide fresh produce, has had to cut its tomato use by 75 percent. Tomatoes used on sandwiches, or “slicing tomatoes,” are usually about $25 per case in the winter, but, in the past few weeks, the cost has risen to more than $50 per case.

“We haven’t bought slicing tomatoes in about two weeks,” Cummings said. “It would be the difference between making a profit off of a sandwich or not.”

The shortage has impacted the food industry in terms of both the availability and quality of tomatoes. Grocery stores and fast-food restaurants like Subway and Wendy’s have posted signs informing customers about the tomato shortage.

Cummings said The Cafe has stopped putting tomato slices on sandwiches unless customers request them.

In order to fill recipe needs, the restaurant has been able to use Roma tomatoes, for which the prices have remained lower, or canned tomatoes.

“You can’t pass that cost along to the consumer,” Cummings said. “Tomatoes aren’t very good in the winter anyway, so I think most customers understand our position.”

Kurt Johnson, produce manager at Hy-Vee, 3800 Lincoln Way, said that most consumers have been understanding about the price increase.

“It’s at least three times what they usually are right now,” Johnson said.

Johnson said Hy-Vee mostly carries hothouse tomatoes from Canada in the winter.

“The hothouse tomatoes have been affected as well because of the high demand,” Johnson said.

Hothouse tomatoes generally retail for $.99 to $1.99 per pound, but have been at $3.99 to $4.99 per pound for the past month. Johnson said the prices should start to go down in the next week.

The tomato shortage has had minimal effect on Iowa farmers, as Midwest farmers are not able to compete with Southern farmers in the winter, Cummings said. Very few Iowa farmers raise greenhouse tomatoes.

The shortage is expected to last about three more weeks, at which point Florida and Mexico crops will have recovered.

“Consumers should see some relief next week,” said Ruth Mitchell, Hy-Vee spokeswoman. “Indications are that there’s a more abundant supply which should be coming soon.”