• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

Inflation in fresh fruits and vegetables

gavinfielder

DP Veteran
Joined
Sep 24, 2012
Messages
1,748
Reaction score
756
Location
Sacramento, CA, USA
Gender
Male
Political Leaning
Libertarian - Left
I agree with you, other than the inflation.

Being that inflation is happening, as evidenced by even just the basic costs of groceries, clothing and fuel. Those that like to grab out the charts and graphs, note, large goods have remained stationary or even dropped in price, because no one's buying them. The cost of basic living has inflated, causing additional ripples across the economy, and as those who live hand-to-mouth well know, the dollar has devalued across the board, causing the effects of the initial inflation to be felt even harder among the lower income groups.
If we assume that there are two types of inflation--cost push and demand pull--the situation you describe would obviously have to fall under demand pull, but when I consider that demand-pull inflation would have to be preceded by either increased consumption or decreased production, I can't see any way that that can be the case. There could be a third type of inflation, if you want to consider that food prices could be an asset bubble, but I want to reject this thought with every fiber of my moral being.

The inflation I generally see in food is that fresh fruits and vegetables are kinda crazy expensive now. Is it really demand pull inflation though? If so, is it that we don't produce enough produce (which seems unlikely to me), or that people are buying more and more (which is even more unlikely)?
 
If we assume that there are two types of inflation--cost push and demand pull--the situation you describe would obviously have to fall under demand pull, but when I consider that demand-pull inflation would have to be preceded by either increased consumption or decreased production, I can't see any way that that can be the case. There could be a third type of inflation, if you want to consider that food prices could be an asset bubble, but I want to reject this thought with every fiber of my moral being.

The inflation I generally see in food is that fresh fruits and vegetables are kinda crazy expensive now. Is it really demand pull inflation though? If so, is it that we don't produce enough produce (which seems unlikely to me), or that people are buying more and more (which is even more unlikely)?

The immediate rise in produce and fruit costs is weather related. Due to continual rains in the Southeast, crops have been lost, yield is low and quality is poor, but prices have stayed absurdly high on certain crops only. Those areas that aren't suffering the weather related issues are still demanding higher prices, because they can, based on demand. In order to offset the loss of crops in the SE, more is being shipped from the west coast, reducing the availability, and causing prices to rise even in your neck of the woods.

Those crops that aren't generally grown in the SE (and according to some, even areas in the mid-North East) aren't as effected, since they weren't grown here normally, and had to be shipped in.

I fully expect to see ridiculously expensive apples come fall.....
 
I am not sure classic cost-push inflation takes into account the full effects high fuel prices in the distribution of those goods.
 
I fully expect to see ridiculously expensive apples come fall.....
Apples are already ridiculously expensive here. I haven't seen apples below $2/lb in a while. You'd think for a common crop they wouldn't be luxury price.

to the rest of the post: aha. The weather's effect on agriculture isn't really in any significant news source, mainstream or not, so urbanites like myself tend to forget about it.
 
Apples are already ridiculously expensive here. I haven't seen apples below $2/lb in a while. You'd think for a common crop they wouldn't be luxury price.

to the rest of the post: aha. The weather's effect on agriculture isn't really in any significant news source, mainstream or not, so urbanites like myself tend to forget about it.

Several orchards here haven't just lost their crop due to excessive rain, but have actually lost trees due to the continuous saturation. The proliferation of blight (always a threat) has increased due to the excess moisture also.
 
Food inflation has not hit the US. For various reasons, there is little correlation between the cost of the raw foodstuffs and the finished product.

ppi.jpg



And overall inflation has been low. If anything, we're climbing out of a brief recessionary deflation.

united-states-inflation-cpi.png
 
Food inflation has not hit the US. For various reasons, there is little correlation between the cost of the raw foodstuffs and the finished product.

ppi.jpg



And overall inflation has been low. If anything, we're climbing out of a brief recessionary deflation.

united-states-inflation-cpi.png

Considering the chart is two years out of date, it's a little difficult to claim that 'inflation' hasn't hit to grocery isles...

Take a stroll through the produce section, and tell me the last time you paid $1.78 a pound for squash IN SEASON.
 
Considering the chart is two years out of date, it's a little difficult to claim that 'inflation' hasn't hit to grocery isles...
According to the USADA, food prices went up a whopping 3.7%. Some prices went up more than others (e.g. beef, eggs, pork). 2012 was estimated for 2.6%. This only barely outpaces the overall inflation rate.

The price for fresh vegetables actually fell by 5% in 2012.

And no, you can't look at one and only one vegetable and, on that basis, declare that food has suffered massive inflation. For starters, you aren't thinking about the prices that have stayed the same or dropped slightly. Some prices will increase and others will fall. That's why you have to look at a "basket" of goods.
 
Last edited:
According to the USADA, food prices went up a whopping 3.7%. Some prices went up more than others (e.g. beef, eggs, pork). 2012 was estimated for 2.6%. This only barely outpaces the overall inflation rate.

The price for fresh vegetables actually fell by 5% in 2012.

And no, you can't look at one and only one vegetable and, on that basis, declare that food has suffered massive inflation. For starters, you aren't thinking about the prices that have stayed the same or dropped slightly. Some prices will increase and others will fall. That's why you have to look at a "basket" of goods.

Where did I use the phrase 'massive inflation'? No where. Either quote me properly, or don't quote me at all, please.

Current produce prices are absurdly high in specific regions, for the reasons I cited.
 
Apples are already ridiculously expensive here. I haven't seen apples below $2/lb in a while. You'd think for a common crop they wouldn't be luxury price.
to the rest of the post: aha. The weather's effect on agriculture isn't really in any significant news source, mainstream or not, so urbanites like myself tend to forget about it.
At least once a month on NPR you'll hear about such things, it's really nuts how some drought will kill of some massive percentage of U.S. crop of a certain kind, and months later they inform we'll be seeing higher XYZ prices. Some times they get import more and it doesn't get too expense, etc., but yeah, always surprises me too how massive the impact of yearly weather on food crops.
 
At least once a month on NPR you'll hear about such things, it's really nuts how some drought will kill of some massive percentage of U.S. crop of a certain kind, and months later they inform we'll be seeing higher XYZ prices. Some times they get import more and it doesn't get too expense, etc., but yeah, always surprises me too how massive the impact of yearly weather on food crops.
Oh yeah, NPR did cover agriculture. I should listen to the radio more.
 
Back
Top Bottom