inflation

A new report from CoBank says rapidly worsening expectations about everything from inflation to personal income to business conditions and labor supplies are elevating economic concerns in farm country.  The question of whether the declining expectations will translate into slower spending and tightening profit margins will likely come into view by late June.  ...

Grocery stores and gas pumps are important inflation indicators.  While inflationary concerns have been persistent in recent years, the back and forth regarding tariffs on Canada and Mexico, as well as the tariffs on Chinese goods, have prompted additional concerns about prices.   ...

According to the latest USDA Food Prices Outlook, food prices moved higher, both month-over-month and year-over-year.   "For all food prices increased by .2% in December and they were 2.5% higher than they were in December of 2023,” noted USDA economist Megan Sweitzer.  She added, when co...

Central Washington’s Dan Newhouse says now is a challenging time in farm country.  He said there are many things Washington D.C. can do to help growers and producers in this corner of the country.  Newhouse, a member of the House Ag Committee, said the farming industry is in desperate need of ag labor reform.   “And though the ...

Canada’s recent Food Price Report 2025 forecasts a rise in food prices between 3%-5%, pushing the average family of four’s annual food expenditure to $16,833.67, an increase of $800 from last year.  Though 2024 saw food prices grow more slowly than expected, affordability remains a major concern for Canadians as inflation continues to erode household budgets.  Despite easing...

Listen to the national news, and you’ll hear discussions about how inflation is not what it was last year or even a few months ago.  And while that may have a direct impact on many sectors of the U.S. economy, unfortunately agriculture is not one of them.  Cameron Mulro...

According to the American Farm Bureau Federation, the cost of a Thanksgiving dinner serving ten people is down slightly.  Bernt Nelson, AFBF economist, says their volunteer shoppers found the average cost for that dinner for ten will run $58.08, a yea...

In the year 2022, the food we bought at the grocery store went up in price by 11 ½% and up another 5% last year.  But what about this year?   “Grocery prices are predicted to increase by 1.2%.”  A rate of food price inflation that Megan Sweitzer, USDA economist described as very, very low.  She added that grocery price inflation ha...

With the expiration of the Farm Bill extension at the end of September, many in the agriculture community have called on Congress to act.  Samantha Parrott, Executive Director of the Snake River Sugarbeet Growers Association, says the sugar industry is a Title One commodity, they are somewhat insulated from the uncertainty of a lack of a Farm Bill.   “...

The Agriculture Department is expecting at home food prices this year to increase by 1.2%, which is a slight increase from the 1% that USDA economists had expected.  USDA economist Meghan Schweitzer says prices for a couple of key food categories have been higher than expected, inching that rate up.   “...