Grocery prices under Joe Biden’s economic policies have exploded over the last year, with meat and poultry up 13% or more, fruit up nearly 11%, baked goods up about 8%. Average food inflation across the board has run, by some estimates, about 12%.
Originally published at WND News Center. Used with permission.
CNBC reported oranges were up 14.3%, ground beef 13.6%, margarine 11.4%, milk 11.2%, and a separate assessment documented poultry up 20%, eggs up 43% and dairy overall up 16%.
That means for consumers with families, the $200 weekly grocery tab under President Trump now is about $225, or $235, or more. Or at least $1,200 more a year for the same groceries as the year before.
And it’s about to get worse.
That’s the word from an agriculture researcher who was interviewed by the Center Square.
Ben Brown, a research associate for the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute, told the publication, “This isn’t a message I like talking about. Most likely, the path forward is going to be a period of high prices and low or relatively low economic growth. It’s the same thing we had in the 1970s. It’s going to cause economic pain, there’s no doubt about it. And it tends to last long.”
A significant contributor is the assault on the farm economy under Biden’s policies.
For example, farmers were paying up to 300% more for fertilizer during 2021, and saw huge increases in the costs of fuel for machinery, all linked to Biden’s all-out war on American fossil fuels production.
Then there’s the general instability in world markets that are impacted by the economic turmoil in Europe, at least partly worsened by the surging costs for natural gas.
“I find myself talking to more people these days who are curious about what it costs to start a farm,” Brown told the Center Square. “It’s a whole different conversation when you start talking about a farmer’s operating budget. I don’t think many people understand how farmers deal with big cash flow numbers.”
Then exports also impact markets, he pointed out.
“We’re in a period where we’re likely going to experience high food prices, not just the raw products from the farm,” Brown told the publication. “If you’re growing corn and that corn is fed to cattle, you’ll see high meat prices at the store. Labor costs continue to increase along with trucks and gasoline to transport the product. Then add the increased price for packaging of products.”
He called the situation a “perfect storm” for high grocery prices, noting the government already has boosted its allowance for families in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
By Bob Unruh. (c) 2022.
Disclaimer: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.