By Amanda Hill
For months now, we at Texas Farm Bureau have been anticipating a rise in food prices as the epic drought of 2011—which lasted, in some areas, through 2012 and into 2013—caused crops to wither and cattle herds to shrink. Texans’ food costs actually declined for a few quarters, but it seems the drought has finally caught up to prices at the grocery store.
According to the first quarter Grocery Price Watch survey, Texas food prices are up about 5.5 percent over last quarter and a little more than 3 percent from this time last year. Here’s a look at the 16-item basket of food staples:
I can relate to this basket of items. In fact, it represents a lot of the regular staples I buy each week—fresh fruits and vegetables, grains, milk and cheese and meat. Of course, there are other items that find their way into my basket, but this is pretty close to what you might see me buy each week.
Grocery prices are top-of-mind for many of us and an increase can be hard to swallow. There’s a lot that affects the fluctuation of food prices—weather events in the field, fuel prices, marketing costs and more.
My belief is there is tremendous value in the food we buy. Each week, I have choices at the grocery store and can decide what fits within my budget—all because American farmers and ranchers took risks to grow healthy food in the most efficient way possible. That keeps costs down. And, if a product is too expensive for my budget that week, I can opt for a less expensive alternative.
How do you keep costs down at the grocery store? Have you adjusted to higher food prices? Leave a comment below. We want to hear from you!
I just relocated from NY City in spring of 2013. I really like the N Dallas area but I was very surprised at the price of produce. Artichokes grown in California are generally .69 to .99 cents each in NY. Here in Texas the same artichoke is 2 bucks. This I do not understand. Beef is about 3 to 5% cheaper and chicken is about the same. Most fish is more expensive here but I expected that. I do not understand though why some food is considerably more expensive in general here than in the north east and others are priced about the same. Gasoline is 40 to 50 cents a gallon less so I guess it works out overall.
Hi, Bruno – Welcome to Texas and thanks for reading Texas Table Top. Food prices really depend on location and time of year. Some of the higher prices you’ve noticed may be due to seasonality – bringing produce in from Mexico or South America adds to the cost. Texas is a leading state for raising beef cattle, so prices likely will be a little lower here versus New York.
The American Farm Bureau Federation puts out a similar food price survey and Texas prices are often below the national average for many products. I think, if comparing apples to apples (so to speak), you’ll find prices are about on par with the rest of the country overall.
Again, we’re glad to have you in the Lone Star State, and we hope you’ll continue to share your thoughts on Texas Table Top.