By Julie Vrazel

Budget, budget, budget. It’s an all-too familiar word in my house with a wedding less than two months away and winter feed bills for the cows just around the corner.

But a large part of my usual monthly expenses isn’t directly related to our wedding or cattle. It’s my weekly trips to the grocery store.

For months now, we’ve been watching our grocery bills slowly rise, while hoping for a decline in the prices. But, you see, the effects drought has had on agriculture aren’t erased overnight, or over a few months.

Though conditions have improved, it’s a long process—one that takes farmers and ranchers years to completely recover.

Combine that with a growing consumer demand around the globe, and prices have continued to rise. Beef has reached an all-time high, and prices for pork, chicken and turkey keep climbing.

But ranchers are beginning to restock their herds. It’ll take some time to rebuild, but I think once you see lower beef prices, then the prices for other meats will fall, also.

Check out the full survey results below, or read Texas Farm Bureau’s news release with additional information.

How does your grocery store compare to our survey’s average?

 

Grocery Price Watch_Q3 2014