Food Prices are going up this year.

I'd like to point out something related to the thread title.

I've been noticing a serious increase in food prices, along with many foods no longer being available. I shop at Aldi, and used to buy canned spinach there at .49 cents per can. I haven't seen any (along with Collard Greens or Kale) there in about 8 months. Everything else has gone up in price as well, and I mean everything. Even their store brand soda went from 2.19 to 2.89 for a 12 pack. A 4lb. bag of sugar (used to be 5lb.) was commonly about a dollar and is now always around $2. When I go to Walmart, the Spinach is limited, and costs twice what I paid at Aldi. Also, Walmart no longer has Pampa Mackerel. They have a space for it, but no product ever there. Browsing around the store at the shelves, I notice quite a few empty areas all over the place. It seems that supplies of just about everything is being hit for some reason.

Surprisingly, I've been hearing that beans are supposed to be getting hit hard by supply problems and price increases, but that's one thing I haven't seen go up in price.

I could also point out that when I look at food online, the prices are even worse than at Brick N Mortar stores.

 

The 40 oz peanut butter went up .20 cents a jar. I have noticed some bare spots on the shelves, but nothing like Walmart or Meijers (local chain). I hope that more people are waking up and stocking up, but I kind of doubt it. I have had short conversations with other shoppers about how often stores run out of products.

 

I put some faith in empty shelves at major markets as an indicator but not a whole lot. Today wally world and other major markets are strictly profit driven. If one can of a brand of a product sets on the shelf while ten cans of another brand move out that slow mover is soon dropped from inventory. Couple that with un realistic expectations of JIT stocking and shortages can appear worse than they really are. I'd look at soup kitchen or day-old-bread store lines as a better indication of food cost.

 

I hate JIT inventory management, but I am a prepper.
Last night I picked up a bunch of soup for $.54 a can because it wasn't moving. Sometimes I am grateful for corporations greediness.

 

I shop mainly at Kroger's and have not noticed any of the canned shortages many speak about. I do know that JIT inventory may interrupt the flow of specific items as well as the problems the trucking industry seems to be experiencing.
In most areas impacted by flooding, the two money crops are corn and soybeans. Both are used in processed foods, livestock feed, and a lot of corn is processed into ethanol as a fuel additive, which Trump has OK'ed to go from 10% to 15%, unfortunately. (Reports that I have read claim that it requires more energy to produce the ethanol than it provides in gasoline.)
Do not a lot of our vegetables come out of Mexico? North and South Carolina? Georgia? Florida? What vegetables are grown in the Mid-West? Is that not mostly grain country? (subsidized, too!)
I don't eat processed foods, nor GMO corn or soybeans. I don't eat meat feed GMO corn or soybeans and choke full of antibiotics. I just put a grass fed/grass finished beef in the freezer and will add a deer or two this fall.
While food prices may indeed go up, I can't help but feel the flooding is just an excuse.

 

Canned Campbell's chicken noodle soup and vegetable soup was $1.98/can today. Geez, used to be able to get them 2/$1.

 

You don't find that too salty?

 

Gator, no not too salty. CS, we very seldom eat canned soup. Last night was an exception, Sweetie had too much trail mix and her jaw was sore so she needed something soft to eat. I think she learned a lesson about the trail mix.....she has to learn things herself, knowwhatImean LOL

Every time I hit the grocery store, when I get home I tell Sweetie "Everything is going up except my paycheck." I think most of the cause for price increases is manufactured. For example, about 9 or 10 months ago, I saw on the news that lobster prices were going up due to increase in fuel costs, increase in licence costs, etc. Yep, the small ones that used to be $3.099 are now $6.99. Large ones are unaffordable! SOBs!
Kajun

 

What we do is some asparagus go's on sale or broccoli and then we buy a case or two , Not off the display shelf , but untouched from the cooler , AND then WE ask for a better discount. 20 pounds of cherries for 40 bucks , 3 boxes , same as the greens above .
We process /Or the boss dose it , Im told what to do.