Meat has long been the most expensive item on our plates, but prices for chicken, beef and pork have jumped even higher this year. The sticker shock at the grocery store is real.
The USDA reports that grocery prices in September this year were about 13% higher on average than last year. The Food Price Outlook forecast indicates food prices particularly hard hit by inflation will continue to be cuts of beef, pork, and poultry.
The reasons are many:
Supply chain issues. Bottlenecks at processing plants because of labor shortages and COVID shutdowns. Lousy growing weather in parts
