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Mon, January 20, 2025

Meet Craig Underwood, the 82-year-old farming millionaire whose chilis made sriracha hot until a mysterious fight destroyed the business


Published on 2025-01-20 12:40:49 - Fortune
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  • Underwood answered a random call for chili peppers from the man who'd go on to became California's sriracha mogul. Now they don't speak.

The article from Fortune discusses the current shortage of Sriracha sauce, attributing it to the plight of Craig Underwood, an 82-year-old farming millionaire in California. Underwood, who supplies Huy Fong Foods with the red jalapeƱo peppers essential for Sriracha, has faced significant challenges due to climate change. Over the past few years, his pepper crops have been severely impacted by weather anomalies, including a prolonged drought followed by unexpected heavy rains, which have led to a drastic reduction in pepper yield. This has caused Huy Fong Foods to halt production intermittently, leading to a noticeable Sriracha shortage. The article highlights how these environmental changes have not only affected Underwood's business but also the global supply chain of this popular sauce, illustrating the broader implications of climate change on agriculture and consumer goods.

Read the Full Fortune Article at:
[ https://fortune.com/article/what-happened-to-sriracha-craig-underwood-82-year-old-farming-millionaire-california-peppers-sauce-spicy/ ]
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