This is real. It’s not satire.

Since Candy Canes were first invented, there have always been an abundance of them in supply.

Except not this year. So much appears to be broken right now in America. Even candy canes at Christmas.

With everything else that’s going on these days … we are now facing an actual candy cane shortage at Christmas.

Isn’t that a lot like going to Kentucky Fried Chicken … only to be told that they’re out of chicken?

FoxBusiness.com reports that it is because of a shortage in peppermint crops and COVID-19-caused logistical issues have created a problem for the candy industry.

The Fox Business Channel interviewed Mitchell Cohen, owner of Economy Candy, located on the Lower East Side in New York City.

"We only received half of our candy cane order for the holiday season and sold out almost immediately. We currently have zero in stock," said Cohen, to The New York Post. "Raw material and ingredient shortages globally have had quite an impact."

This is a first for Economy Candy, which has been in business since 1937. Cohen said they sold more than 12,000 candy canes before running dry.

Peppermint production in the United States has declined about 25 percent over the past decade, according to the United States Department of Agriculture.

There is a ripple effect to the candy cane shortage, as the gingerbread house industry is significantly impacted.

"We can’t really do a gingerbread house without a candy cane tree, a candy cane door, or candy cane anything," Cohen said.

Fox Business Channel also turned to Townsquare Media New Jersey’s WOBM radio station. “I can’t find candy canes anywhere,” posted an author, Sue Moll at WOBM, who wrote  "And, it’s not like boxes are empty. There are no boxes."

It doesn’t end with the lovers of peppermint-flavored candy canes. You will not be the only ones suffering.

Economy Candy are also sold out of both its kale and ham flavored candy canes.

I never knew that there was a such thing as ham or kale candy canes.

SOURCES: Fox Business.com, The New York Post & Townsquare Media New Jersey radio station WOBM.

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