Chances are you've noticed your grocery bill has drastically increased lately. According to Louisiana Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain, grocery prices are not going to get any cheaper anytime soon.
"They are still accelerating faster than inflation," Strain told WWL's Tommy Tucker. "Inflation for food continues to outpace the general rate of inflation."
According to Strain, grocery prices are expected to increase by more than three percent across the board, with the steepest price hikes impacting meats.
"Proteins have really jumped," Strain said. "The price of beef is moving at about seven percent. Pork is probably about four percent. Poultry (is rising) by about three to four percent."
Strain says beef prices are so high because there are fewer farms raising fewer cattle. According to Strain, several factors led to this: rising production costs, farmers retiring, younger people not getting into agriculture, and the United States importing fewer cattle from Mexico to prevent the New World Screwworm from entering the country.
"So there's really a supply and demand (issue)," Strain said. "We've had steady demand, but a decreasing supply."
All of this, Strain says, is keeping people out of restaurants. According to Strain, people are trying to stretch their dollars by cooking at home and eating leftovers.
"More people are electing to eat at home," Strain said. "It's strictly economics."
Still, Strain believes grocery bills won't get any cheaper anytime soon.
"Are they ever going to come down ever?" Tucker asked.
"No," Strain replied.
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