Louisiana has been dealing with drought conditions, and there isn't much relief in sight. This could affect how much you pay at the grocery store.
"I think you're already seeing increased grocery prices,” said Louisiana Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry Dr. Mike Strain, referring to the higher costs of fuel. And the drought, says Strain, isn't helping.
"The immediacy would be in fresh fruits and vegetables, and then in the long term, if we don't get some relief, you could see increased costs in the other products such as beef, pork, and chicken, which rely on corn and beans."
Strain says when rain is scarce, farmers turn to irrigation, and that in turn will drive up costs, too.
"When you talk about water, water costs for us to irrigate, that is a big input cost," the commissioner explained. "And so that could further drive commodity prices and food prices if we have a prolonged drought from California all the way to the east coast."
While an El Nino winter usually means wetter weather, Strain says farmers don't want to pin their hopes on that, and for now, the forecast is dry for the next seven to ten days.
