Food Prices: Just a Heads Up!

I work in the Foodservice industry. I watch commodity and animal markets closely so that I can control costs and purchase items when the time is right.

This morning it became quite clear that the cost of food is going to rise sharply in the next few weeks!

Beef is going to spike within days or possibly next week by a few dollars a pound, which equates to even more at the retail market.

Fruits and vegetales coming out of California and Mexico, which is a lot, has already spiked.

The grain prices are directly tied to animal prices, and visa versa, so I expect a spike in bread, flour and certain oils.

I cannot share the market reports I get due to legal issues, but I will try to find some reports that illustrate what I mean.

This is just a friendly reminder to all that things may get expensive (more than it allready is) and to watch out for yourselves at the supermarket. This week will be the best time to stock up on any items that wil lhold for a long period of time, or than can be frozen. The market may settle down before the new year, but many of us in the foodservice industry are preparing for a super-inflated market over the winter.

Be careful out there!

ETA: Here is a link that shows the potential forecast leading into 2012. 2012 may be lower than 2011 prices, but will depend on the weather in the Midwest.

USDA Forecast

Financial Times

reply to post by sheepslayer247


I see you added a website... I'm sorry but that page you linked leads to a lot of articles. At this point its less a 'tip' and more like a class.

Thanks anyway.

prices in the u.k have been rising quite sharply for the past 8 months, doesn't bode well for the future.

reply to post by sheepslayer247


thanks for the heads up: It is a confirmation of what we have been seeing and what many know is sure to come very soon. I may get a bigger freezer and buy a bunch of beef now.
DH

It's elk season in just a few days. I have 2 tags, and I intend to fill them. I've already finished my harvest from my garden, the wife has been canning like a mad woman, and we're set for the winter. Thanks for the head's up though. I'm just glad I don't rely on the supermarket for meat and vegetables.

Of course prices will go up, someone has to pay so that Tesco et al can continue making billions of pounds in profit from the things we require to survive.

But yes i have been aware how prices are on the up

thanks for the heads up. But unlike you I’m afraid this is just the beginning. Prices will continue to go up in the long run and wages will stay the same.

When the Euro falls we might see food prices fall for 2-3 months but after that, up, up , and away!

keep us posted!

reply to post by sheepslayer247


A good way to get around the rising beef prices is to seek out local farmers that sell quarter, half and whole butchered beef cattle. They sell to locals usually at deeply discounted prices because they make more money than selling directly to super markets. I have a local farmer close to me that sells his beef for 1.89/lb which is incredibly cheap if you follow beef prices. If you do not have the capacity to store a quarter, find a relative or friend to split it with you.

reply to post by navy_vet_stg3


You are ahead of the game! Nice.

Yes, too many people rely on the local market and on average most people only have enough to get through a few days worth of meals. That means that in volitile markets a family's cost can increase from one trip to the next.

reply to post by SpaDe_

Good idea, maybe time to make some more room in the little freezer. I fear this winter, even with supplies something tells me it will be hard on all of us.

reply to post by TsukiLunar


The overall point is that prices are jumping again. I like to be positive and say that these things happen from time to time and that the market will eventually correct itself.

But it may take some time.....so be proactive and buy at the best price you can, or stock up before it gets out of hand.

reply to post by sheepslayer247


Thanks for the heads up, OP.

One of my daughters works for a major grocery chain. She keeps us informed concerning future rises in prices and on what sort of products.

For example, when canned tuna fish was going to be on sale for 48 cents a can, she let us know in advance, first, buy a case of it, second, the price for canned tuna fish would rise dramatically soon after the sale.

Yep. We got a case of the tuna fish. Now tuna fish is about 85 cents a can.

reply to post by kyred


That's exactly what I am seeing in the beef market right now. Vendors are trying to dump their stock of beef now, cash in and raise capital for large buys on beef products at better prices when the price starts to jump.

The quoted UK food inflation at 5% is a load of bull. We know how much things like meat, dairy, coffee have gone up. And the word is that due to unpredicable weather worldwide and spoiled harvests, prices are going to rocket. This without a financial collapse and possible hyperinflation.
Stock up now.

reply to post by sheepslayer247


Yep, $56 for the first stamp, and $46 for the second. I'll fill both of them for sure, and then it's a small fee to get some of it processed that I don't process myself.

People should put back a couple bucks here and there and stock up on beans and rice at Sam's or Costco. Buy the biggest bags they sell. You'd be amazed how long one of those large bags could feed a family of four. It's good to supplement the cost of food. We also have a shop where I live that's run by an Amish family. They buy cosmetically damaged cans and boxes of food from the grocery stores, and resell them. You can get some really good deals at little places like this. I won't buy dented cans though.

Another thing people can do is learn what food sources are available in their own yards, if things get really bad. Knowledge is power, and can save your life. There are several weeds that can provide a food source for a period of time, and some aren't bad tasting.

Last but not least, if people can get themselves a reloading station (I know they can be expensive) and learn to reload their ammunition, it could pay dividends in the long run. Most places allow duck/goose hunting, and a goose has a lot of meat on it. People need to grow a thicker skin and quit expecting someone else to provide food for them. They need to learn how to kill it, clean it, process it, and then enjoy the fruits of their labor.

reply to post by navy_vet_stg3


I couldn't have said it better!

What would people do if they could not go to their local market and buy their goods? They would die! I know that is harsh but true. In the last great depression, people had the skills to can, hunt and grow what they needed. Nowadays, those skills are considered relics of a "barbaric" age.

In my are we have a thriving deer, waterfowl and fish supply. We partake of the fish more than anything, but have the skills and ability to take care of ourselves.

Originally posted by sheepslayer247
reply to post by kyred

 

That's exactly what I am seeing in the beef market right now. Vendors are trying to dump their stock of beef now, cash in and raise capital for large buys on beef products at better prices when the price starts to jump.

I know ranchers in the Midwest have been selling cattle very cheap, because there is no hay to get them through the winter. So, the supply is high now, but it will be low as the winter drags on, and by next summer the prices will shoot up.

Horse prices are way, way down also.

Plus, with all the droughts, floods, and fires, the supply of produce is way down.

I expect next year to be very bad for food prices.

reply to post by sheepslayer247


The story of the ant and the grasshopper, huh? I just fear that even though I am sacrificing things I want (new computer, new car, new clothes) people will call me greedy when I don't share. And I won't.

reply to post by navy_vet_stg3


I will share, but only to a certain extent. I would rather help show people how to hunt or fish and claim their meal for themselves. A certain respect must be had for the source of your meal and doing it yourself demands such respect, or you starve.

reply to post by sheepslayer247


Fair enough. I won't mind showing someone how to hunt/fish, but I won't give up my family's security for someone who was too busy being on Facebook to learn beforehand.