Warning: Food Supply and Affordability are Seriously Threatened

We went and stocked up on groceries last night and noticed some prices to be much higher than normal, We were shopping at a Walmart neighborhood market, which is usually very well priced. We bought more food and spent about 75 dollars less at a Super Target the beginning of January.

I don't ever buy it but Iceberg lettuce was 2.00 a head, normally I would expect it to be 89-99 cents
Milk is 3.50 a gallon
A dozen store brand eggs was 2.25, the decent ones like Egglands Best were nearly 3.00 a dozen.
Meat seemed to be about normal, but the bread we buy that is normally 1.89 was about 2.50 a loaf.
I noticed that 1lb of basmati rice was something ridiculous like over 3.00

We bought a cart full of food, most of it was pantry basics like juice, pasta and rice, canned tomatoes etc for cooking, lunchbox items for my son, frozen veggies and other simple basic foods.

Nothing fancy and none of the things that really hike up the bill like Dog food, cleaning supplies or expensive cuts of meat. We spent over 300 dollars.

Overall we did buy a LOT of food, but I would say the bill was at least 25% higher than I expected.

Look at the price of wheat, corn, beef - indicators show the price will start to rise. Crops were ruined by rippling drought in Russia and later Argentina, and torrential rains in Australia and Canada. The last cold snap has destroyed corn in Mexico and southern US.

As to small towns / farms - GMOs will take care of them.


“If people let government decide what foods they eat and what medicines they take, their bodies will soon be in as sorry a state as are the souls of those who live under tyranny.”

Originally posted by RyandeaN
I live in the UK and Food Prices hear are changing daily!!!

At my local supermarket i can buy a product one day go to buy the same product again the day after and have seen increases anywhere from 20-80% its really shocking and this has only been happening in the last month and its mainly across the board everything has gone up its relentless, i have also overheard lots of other customers commenting on how most of the products have gone up unbelievably.

If this keeps happening its gona hit the fan, people round here are already struggling to get by

Canada is the same as if we're a test run for all of this, yet we can be completely self sufficient if the borders were closed for we have all the resources and farm lands required. And our own banking system.

reply to post by Regenmacher


Using advertisements for meat is not a good indicator. You see, as grain prices increase, namely corn prices, many meat producers counter the extra feed costs by reducing their herds. This is happening currently. When herds are reduced, livestock floods the market and suppresses the price because of increased supply. This will continue for a given amount of time until the supply is used up then meat prices will climb.

A better indication of price increases can be better found in the price of coffee or sugar at the grocery store. In my case, I noticed today in the store that I went to, the price of a large can of name brand coffee was $13.19. I was buying the same coffee last year at this time for $8.99. Prices are increasing if you look at the proper items and understand how the system works internally.

reply to post by MidnightTide


Americans are going to pay much higher prices for food because of shortages caused by the weather and skyrocketing oil prices, but I doubt we are going to have famine because we produce so much of the world's food. Our elite would have to make a "bi-partisan" decision to starve Americans by exporting food produced here to the point of starving us. On the contrary, they will have to place export controls on food grown here like Russia and China are doing to make sure we don't run out of food in the US.

Other parts of the world who depend upon the US for their food, however, and especially Africa, are going to have terrible famine. Our lower than usual production, our subsidized use of food (corn) for fuel, and the cost increases of oil, threaten our ability to take care of feeding Africa as is we usually do during times like this. It the perfect strom of a nightmare. If you pray, pray for Africa.

Originally posted by shermanoaks
reply to post by Regenmacher

 

Using advertisements for meat is not a good indicator. You see, as grain prices increase, namely corn prices, many meat producers counter the extra feed costs by reducing their herds. This is happening currently. When herds are reduced, livestock floods the market and suppresses the price because of increased supply. This will continue for a given amount of time until the supply is used up then meat prices will climb.

A better indication of price increases can be better found in the price of coffee or sugar at the grocery store. In my case, I noticed today in the store that I went to, the price of a large can of name brand coffee was $13.19. I was buying the same coffee last year at this time for $8.99. Prices are increasing if you look at the proper items and understand how the system works internally.

What kind of coffee is that? Folger's goes on sale around $5.99 for 34oz can all the time. I have yet to pay more than $5.99 for 34oz, cause some brand will be at that price somewhere and then it's time to load up. You can order the large can of the major brands on the net and free shipping for less than $13.

Have at it: Folger's $9.99 free shipping for orders over $45: www.quill.com...
Way overpriced for me though, but they might have a 20% coupon for first time buyers floating around too..

There's veggie prices in those 3 ads I posted....look again. I think all non-competitive areas are going to really take the pinch in regards to produce spiking till next growing season starts.

As for how it works, I mastered that game during the dot com boom and nowadays it's:
It's the work that we avoid and we're all self-employed. We love to work at nothing all day -BTO

reply to post by Regenmacher


Actually it was Maxwell House and it was at our local IGA store. I believe that Folgers was 12.99 for the same size can.

I would only warn that food is subject to supply and demand just like everything else. You are correct that smaller communities will have deeper effects, but all areas will be paying higher prices, this I am sure of. No area will be immune to it no matter how many people live there or how few. Supply and demand will determine the prices and no one should think for a second that the major food producers are only going to sell their products to us because we are Americans. They are going to sell to the highest bidder. The highest bidder may be in China...........

In my opinion, the ones that will panic when this all gets into full swing, are the ones who refuse to admit that it can happen to them.

Supply and demand is what drives prices up or down.

reply to post by sara123123


Not famine, but many people will not be able to afford food prices any longer.

Originally posted by shermanoaks
reply to post by Regenmacher

 

Actually it was Maxwell House and it was at our local IGA store. I believe that Folgers was 12.99 for the same size can.

Maxwell House $8.99 free shipping $50+ orders
www.staples.com...

Originally posted by MidnightTide
reply to post by sara123123

 

Not famine, but many people will not be able to afford food prices any longer.

Not being able to afford food and therefore starving to death for lack of sharing by others who do not have, is famine. It won't happen here, is my bet. But today things are so wierd, I would not be totally shocked.

I can tell you that no one is going to starve to death around me, if I know about it and I am certain there are many loving Americans that will make sure of this. You and most people on ATS are included in this assertion, I am certain.

First of all our population isnt to much, so throw that off the table to the guy that made that comment. Its made up, to get rid of poor peeps. Secondly, US wont feel the furry compared to other countries, one our food to population ratio is dramatically different then other countries. So you will see the worst in other countries before here not to mention we use the gm garbage that other countries wont use. Yes prices will go up but if this becomes a real issue, ull see it else where first, then you can figure out how to deal with it when that happens

Here in Australia we've been having price cuts. Milk is so deliciously cheap now!

Originally posted by hypervalentiodine
Here in Australia we've been having price cuts. Milk is so deliciously cheap now!

How are things in Australia now? Last I checked NE Australia was hit with relentless flooding and then a super cyclone. That area supplies 25% of the national Australian economy. And there were wildfires in another part of Australia, plus locusts! Just an almost incredible stream of disasters in a short span of time!

Here's to a quick recovery!

SeaWind

reply to post by Regenmacher


You my friend are lucky I suppose. I work for a retailer/grocer. All prices are going up by at least 10 %.

Doesn't panic buying make prices go up even further? Just buy normally or you going to create an artificial demand and the prices will rise.

Originally posted by Regenmacher

Originally posted by shermanoaks
reply to post by Regenmacher

 

Actually it was Maxwell House and it was at our local IGA store. I believe that Folgers was 12.99 for the same size can.

Maxwell House $8.99 free shipping $50+ order
www.staples.com...

That's great Reg that you can find deals today. Couple things though, we are predicting that prices will shoot up, so we are not saying today they are 50% higher, second, many people live VERY tightly. You will notice these people at the market with 1 or 2 items in their basket and wondering the story deciding what to buy. There are people that feel the pinch now, or will certainly feel it if things go much higher, especially if things move 50% higher. Who wouldn't.

Key to this conversation, what is coming down the pipe?

reply to post by Regenmacher


Errmmmm, you looked at the date of this ad before posting it, right? Bottom left corner says its from July 14. Its 7 months old and in the heart of summer.

[My grocery bill has been about the same in the last few years, since we started producing a lot more ethanol and the meat prices rocketed up. I helped to build some of thoses ethanol plants and I can tell you that all of that grain still went to cattle and pig farmers. What drove up the prices is the increase in diesel. Now that there stocks were drive into the ground want to guess who came in and bought them up? You got it, Velaro and Exon. I will agree that there are better sources of ethanol out there ( sugar cane, switch grass,ect..) but we were lied to and screwed.

Knew this for a while. This is just more validation for me.

I would say I feel bad for those families who have NO IDEA what is coming their way but that is the price for thinking everything is hunky dory ALL the freaking time...lol

I wouldn't fear monger over this though. The "panic" will just quicken the demise and make it worse.

reply to post by Throwback


reply to post by Sly1one



In all honestly, the masses do not come to this site and will not listen when you tell them what is going on. I used to talk about it, but all I got were "This fool is crazy" look.


The true panic will set in when the prices of food / gas start to rise and people living from paycheck to paycheck will no longer be able to afford their KFC and McDonalds.

Not trying to fear monger, or to start a panic.


I am just trying to get people to see what is happening, and hopefully prepare (for something I hope doesn't happen)