Crawfish. Mudbugs. Crawdads.
Whatever you call them, this is the time of year when lovers of the little crustaceans anticipate satisfying their cravings.
Crawfish season is under way and will continue until early spring. But this year mudbug madness is taking on a new meaning.
The cost of curing that craving for the tasty little critters is through the roof right now. A summer drought and then a winter cold snap in Louisiana mean that while demand is still there, supply is not. The harvest so far is only harvesting about 5% of normal.
And as anyone who took Economics 101 knows, high demand and low supply means prices rise.
How much of a rise? This season, the price of a pound of crawfish here in the Twin Cities is about three times what is was in 2023. Even in a time when so many are complaining about inflation, that a heck of a price jump.
Things might get a little better in the weeks to come as harvesting improves. But it appears unlikely that prices will drop back to 2023 levels this season.
Some folks will pay whatever it takes, so strong is their love of the tasty little treats. They aren't about to wait for lower prices. But we imagine most crawfish fans will just have to put off indulging for a while longer.