citrus say it knocked down up to 15% of the region's lemon crop at the tail end of the harvest craig underwood has been growing lemons for about 50 years and he lost half the fruit that was still on trees. >> fruit that was still unpick, if it was yellow, it fell on the ground if it was small, it also fell on the ground. >> reporter: as lemons dropped, prices soared. other countries have their own issues and it's driven up sales prices more than 60% industry says it's the highest than in decades. customers are getting squeezed retailers have been either hiking prices or simply removing lemons from store shelves. but looks can be deceiving this one looks small and shrivelled on the outside. on the inside, tasteses just fine still one major distributor sent out a tweet. encouraging users to buy a lime instead of a lemon. >> if you want a lime, buy a lime if you want a almosten, buy a lemon. >> you must be adaptable. >> prices are expected to go down in september and october whelp the region's next harvest is due. >> i just watched you eat a raw lemon. >> it was good you could tell it was sun rip

craig underwood has been growing lemons for 50 years and says he lost about half the f was still on treess still not pickel, if it wasw it fell on the ground. if it was small it also fell on the ground. >> as lemons dropped, prices soared. he shortage when mexico, chile and argentina reported their own supply issues had driven up on wholesale lem prices more than 60% since the beginning of june. industry watchers say prices are the highest they've seen in a decade. now customers are getting squeezed. >> this one87 was cents and it seems like a lot. >> retailers have been hiking prices or simply removing lemons from storelv s and that's left lemon lovers sour. >> i notice there aren't as many in the stores and they don't seem to be as good of bquality. >> looks can be deceiving. this one ismall and shriveled on the outside, but on the inside -- j tastest fine. >> still one major distributor sent o a twe encouraging customers to switch to lime, but that's proven to be a touchy subject. >> i'd use a lime. >> if you want a lemon buy a lemon. if you want a lime buy a lime. >> we must be adapta

if it were small, it also fell on the ground," said underwood farms farmer craig underwood.as lemonssoared-- which is passed on to shoppers.farther inland many central valley growers harvested earlier in the season and didn't lose many lemons throughout the record breaking heat streak. "where it did impact us was on the demand side with our customers," said silva.this was great news for growers throughout the valley."we had prices that average $35-$45 dollars jump as high as $65 dollars a box and we have continued to see that demand," said kings river packing sales manager jesse silva.he said those are prices they've never seen before. (pam) another big story: the vatican responds to the bombshell grand jury report out of pennsylvania .. which found hundreds and hundreds of boys and girls where abused by priests ... and protected by the church system. today, the vatican called the findings quote - 'criminal and morallly reprehensible".. adding, pope francis is on the side of the victims.. the report says ... "predator priests" would use children's own religious faith and trust ... to