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Page added on June 17, 2014
Price for Meats, Poultry, Fish & Eggs Rockets to All-Time High
The seasonally-adjusted price index for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs hit an all-time high in May, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics(BLS).
In January 1967, when the BLS started tracking this measure, the index for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs was 38.1. As of last May, it was 234.572. By this January, it hit 240.006. By April, it hit 249.362. And, in May, it climbed to a record 252.832.
“The index for meats, poultry, fish and eggs has risen 7.7 percent over the span [last year],” says the BLS. “The index for food at home increased 0.7 percent, its largest increase since July 2011. Five of the six major grocery store food group indexes increased in May. The index for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs rose 1.4 percent in May after a 1.5 increase in April, with virtually all its major components increasing,” BLS states.
In addition to this food index, the price for fresh whole chickens hit its all-time high in the United States in May.
In January 1980, when the BLS started tracking the price of this commodity, fresh whole chickens cost $0.70 per pound. By this May 2014, fresh whole chickens cost $1.56 per pound.
A decade ago, in May 2004, a pound of fresh chicken cost $1.04. Since then, the price has gone up 50%.
Each month, the BLS employs data collectors to visit thousands of retail stores all over the United States to obtain information on the prices of thousands of items to measure changes for the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
The CPI is simply the average change over time in prices paid by consumers for a market basket of goods and services.
The BLS found that there was a 0.7% change in the prices for the food at home index in May, which tracks foods like meats, poultry, fish, eggs and dairy, as well as many others.
12 Comments on "Price for Meats, Poultry, Fish & Eggs Rockets to All-Time High"
Pops on Tue, 17th Jun 2014 1:00 pm
I don’t know anything about chicken but I just sold some beef cattle for the highest price I’ve ever received. The drought and ethanol binge put lots of breeding stock into the packing house a couple of years ago and you don’t just pop calves out of a spreadsheet overnight.
Corn is cheap but I’d guess demand has switched from burgers to nuggets and tilapia so they are under demand pressure.
Davey on Tue, 17th Jun 2014 1:19 pm
Pops it’s a sellers market for sure. I see good dynamics for years ahead if one can avoid the industrial cattle process. Keep it small and sweet with low cost efforts and a little tlc. That is my plan and I am sticking to it.
paulo1 on Tue, 17th Jun 2014 2:40 pm
I have 30 broiler chicks arriving next week for 6 weeks of fun in the sun, pellets, and grain. Then I drag the plucker out, heat water for scalding on an outside fire, and go to work. 30 chickens will provide two good meals per week and we are done with the work in 3 hours…from the block to freezer, and all cleanup. I made the plucker so that it runs off my cement mixer motor…just move the belt over. The scalding is done on an outside fire with a hose on standby to keep the water tremp exact…using a cut off 45 gal drum. My wife cleans up the final pin feathers and bags them for the freezer. At the end of July and into August we fill the freezer with salmon…and some cod for variety. One whole freezer is filled with vegetables, with fresh stuff from May-November. We spend our canning time and energy doing up salmon…and freeze everything else, including tomatos.
It sounds like a lot of work but it isn’t. It beats golfing, gym memberships, and probably takes less time overall than shopping for industrial food at the supermarket. The bonus is that we know what we eat, don’t use chemicals at all, and even the franken-chickens stagger out into the sun. Our egg chickens are outside all day as well.
I just don’t understand why I never lose any weight?
Paulo
Davey on Tue, 17th Jun 2014 3:13 pm
Amen to that Paulo! I am in the process of building my chicken train that is a mobile chicken pen. I am also getting homing pigions. Easy to raise and lots of fun and eadible in a pinch. I would like to do some broilers some day I just don’t have time for everything.
baptised on Tue, 17th Jun 2014 4:38 pm
Davey get some roller pigeons. They fly highup and then do acrobatics while coming down. Here in Tennessee we actually have competitions. Heck they are a lot more entertaining than the lie/poop tube.
Davy, Hermann, MO on Tue, 17th Jun 2014 8:12 pm
I’ll check them out Baptised
farmboy on Tue, 17th Jun 2014 10:27 pm
Davey; this past winter I visited the ruins on Masada in Israel. And one thing that got my attention was the dove cotes, possibly used by the Jewish Rebels as they held out against the Roman siege. Imagine say 5,000 pigeons flying out over a hundred square miles harvesting grain in enemy fields and raising say 15,000 squabs each year; would at least help with the protein and energy needs. all with little if any need for water (vital in arid areas). So then I began wondering if that would have any use in a post collapse scenario. pigeons could forage for a significant portion of their diet, eating volunteer grain and weed seeds,(of which their possibly will be plenty of) over hundreds of acres for most of the year. predatory losses would also need to be taken into consideration. And I don’t really know how portable dove cotes can be without loosing your birds. but so far I’ve just got to many other projects going to seriously learn and pursue raising pigeons. Currently raising sheep 100% grassfed. and also pastured geese,ducks,and chickens,Planting hundreds of hardy fruit and nut trees, tubers. berries etc.
farmboy on Tue, 17th Jun 2014 10:49 pm
When it comes to climate change,loss of biodiversity, and increasing food insecurity I have learned a lot from Allan Savory and just this afternoon I listened to one of his podcasts that goes a little more into depth than say his Ted Talk presentation. Well worth your time. https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/restoring-global-health-revolutionary/id128952862?i=110446818&mt=2
Davy, Hermann, MO on Wed, 18th Jun 2014 5:14 am
Farmboy/Baptised, I think the pigeon things is another great addition to our food lifeboats we are creating. Farmboy, I too am expanding my garden, fruit trees, and barn-lot animals. I have the grass fed beef and will look at goats. I need the goats for grassland management as well as meat. I have not heard from Simon here on this board but eventually I need to consider horses and or oxen for draft animals and transport. I have significant wild meat potential here on the farm with turkey, deer, rabbit, quail, and fish. Part of my efforts here on my 400 acres is wildlife management. There are walnuts and berries and other edibles I probably don’t know about. I have a good spring. I have good bottom ground I am managing for wheat for bread. I am finding we will need multiple types of food to make this transition work away from the BAU food stores. I have an extensive library of books with history pre-fossil fuel farming and living. Food is the weak link and everyone here should consider some kind of effort at long term food storage, gardens, animals and wild forage. Do something before it is too late. If you can’t do something learn about something.
farmboy on Wed, 18th Jun 2014 7:33 am
restoration agriculture is a book on perennial mixed crops by Mark Shephard http://www.forestag.com/ and badgerset farms seems to have made some real progress in developing hardy,and good producing chestnuts,hazelnuts,and pecans. http://www.badgersett.com/ these kinds of plantings would be very useful, as long as you are able to maintain real ownership of your farm.
Davy, Hermann, MO on Wed, 18th Jun 2014 9:08 am
I have seen that book Farmboy. Some great ideas. Walnuts, pecans, and acorns do well here. Acorns are difficult to process but the Native Americans ate them after certain preparations.
PrestonSturges on Wed, 18th Jun 2014 12:37 pm
The new Chinese chestnut hybrids are worth a look. The nuts are good, but the trees lack the stature of the native American chestnut that has been largely wiped out by blight.
And get you some mulberries.