food prices
World food prices lowest in nearly six years
Lower dairy and vegetable oil prices helped pull down the Food Price Index to its lowest reading since September 2009, said the FAO: "Prices for dairy commodities fell across the board, with milk powders being most affected, followed by cheese and butter."
Price of picnic food is up 5 percent in a year
A check of food prices in 25 states says it will cost less than $6 a person to put on a summer picnic. Overall, the price of groceries for the meal is up 5 percent from 2013. Meat and cheese are up the most - more than 13 percent - in the informal survey by the American Farm Bureau Federation and timed to coincide with the Independence Day weekend. Its 84 volunteer shoppers gathered prices for enough food to feed 10 people.
Backyard cookouts cost less as dairy, pork prices fall
The grocery bill for a summertime cookout is a bit lower than a year ago, thanks to lower prices for cheese, hotdogs, buns and watermelon, says an informal survey by the largest U.S. farm group.
Prices lower for pork, higher for eggs, at supermarket
After hitting a record high in 2014, the supermarket price of pork will drop by 3.5 percent this year, the government said in updating its forecast for food price inflation. Hog farmers have expanded production at the same time the strong dollar discourages exports, so the pork supply for Americans is getting larger. It was the second month in a row that the USDA lowered its forecast for pork prices.
World food prices lowest in nearly six years
Prices for the major food commodities fell by 1.4 percent during May, to their lowest levels since September 2009, said the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. Its Food Price Index, at a reading of 166.8, was down by 20.7 percent in one year.
Abundant crops mean lowest global food prices in 55 months
Global food prices, on the decline since last April, are 14-percent lower than a year ago, said the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. The Food Price Index "has now reached its lowest value since July 2010," said the FAO.
Lower-than-expected retail prices for pork and dairy
The government says pork prices will rise by only 2 percent this year -- half the increase forecast two months ago. Retail prices will be held down by a rising supply of meat, says the USDA. Hog prices set a record last year but are expected to fall by one-quarter this year; lower prices would be passed along to consumers. The USDA says there are signs of expansion in hog herds, which would mean more hogs going to slaughter within a few months.
Coming soon – grocery prices you can see through
The Internet age, in which information wants to be free, soon will affect grocery shopping, says industry consultant John Hauptman of Willard Bishop. He puts price transparency at the top of three future trends for food retailers. It is inevitable, he said during a panel discussion at USDA's Outlook Forum, that grocers will post more and more of their prices on the Internet, allowing customers to browse electronically for the best deals and for store managers to monitor a competitor's prices.
Low petroleum prices will reduce cost of food production
Oil prices are likely to stay low throughout this year, says Rabobank, and should eventually benefit consumers through lower food prices, according to Farm Futures.
Beef prices to rise twice as fast as U.S. food inflation rate
Retail beef prices are forecast to climb by 5.5 percent this year, double the overall rate for food inflation, says USDA's monthly Food Price Outlook. "Most retail beef prices, on average are...at record highs, even after adjusting for inflation," said USDA.
Beef and dairy prices – one will go up, one down, in 2015
The record-high beef prices of 2014, averaging nearly $6 per pound, are the starting point for increases this year, says USDA - "Average annual retail beef prices in 2015 are expected to be slightly higher than they were in 2014."
World meat prices up 8 percent in 2014, says FAO
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization says its meat price index rose by 8 percent during 2014 while the other elements in its Food Price Index - cereal grains, vegetable oils, dairy products and sugar - fell.
Cereal, baked goods prices flat in 2014, pork to ease in ’15
Prices for cereal, flour and bakery items will finish the year unchanged from 2013, an indirect effect of record wheat crops worldwide, according to government forecasts, and pork prices will fall by 15 percent in the new year after soaring this year. "Many items in the center aisles of grocery stores/supermarkets have seen lower than average inflation or even deflation year-over-year," said USDA in its food price report.
Healthy food at low price is difficult goal for grocer in Detroit
When Whole Foods, "the world's leader in organic and natural foods" with 360 stores, opened a store in Detroit in June 2013, top executives said they wanted to reach "all of Detroit" with lower prices and to encourage healthier diets.
World grain stockpile heads for 15-year high, food prices flat
Swollen by record wheat and corn harvests, the global inventory of cereal grains will be the largest in 15 years, up 8 percent this year, says the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.
Beef prices, already at record highs, to rise more in 2015
Grocery store prices for beef are at record highs and the government says they will rise again in the new year, although not as sharply as this year.
Cost of Thanksgiving dinner is stable for fourth year in a row
A spot-check of grocery store prices across the country says the cost of materials for Thanksgiving dinner is nearly unchanged for the fourth year in a row.
Beef prices to zoom 11 percent this year, pork nears plunge
Beef prices are at record highs, due to the smallest U.S. cattle inventory since 1951, and are now forecast to average 11 percent higher this year than during 2013.