Food Prices Will Be Going Up
Be ready, food prices will be going up again. Let’s face it, any natural disaster directly impacts our food prices. Even though these storms may have happened a while ago and in an area far from home, they can still have an effect on us for months and even years. Below, you will learn about why food prices will be going up due to the storms in the midwest.
Related: Disaster Plans: They Aren’t All the Same
Food Prices Will Be Going Up
Due to flooding back in May and the unprecedented October blizzard that dumped massive amounts of snow on millions of acres of crops from Colorado to Minnesota, farmers fear a widespread crop failure and a record low harvest for 2019.
Even if the weather is perfect from now until November 1st, we are still expecting massive crop losses.
Because of all the rain and flooding earlier in the year, farmers already had delays in getting their crops planted. They were relying on good weather at the end of the season so the crops could fully mature. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen.
What does a massive crop loss mean? It means that food prices will be going up! When we have crop loss, there is food loss. With this loss, we don’t have enough food for everyone. To compensate for this, food prices rise. It’s the law of supply and demand.
What Crops Are Facing Crop Loss?
Most crops found in the midwest are corn crops and soybean crops. The fact that we will have corn and soybean crop loss could be devastating in the United States. Please only buy products that are non-GMO. I’m begging you. Make sure you look to see where your food is coming from. Most soy and corn are GMO.
Check out my GMO Foods: Everything You Need To Know
Soybean Crops
Soybean production in Michigan is at a 31% reduction from last year and is the lowest since 2008. Almost all soybeans are processed for their oil. Soybean oil is used in cooking, frying foods, salad dressings, and mayonnaise.
Additionally, foods are packaged in soybean oil, and baked goods such as crackers, cakes, and cookies have soybean oil in them. This means that foods that use soybean oil will increase in price.
In addition to soybean oil being used for human consumption, we also use soybean crops to feed livestock. The high protein fiber in soybeans is toasted and prepared into animal feed.
Soybeans essentially feed pork, poultry, cattle, and other farm animals. This means food for animals will increase as well, and thus the cost of meat will increase as a result.
Corn Crops
Corn crops are essential to our survival. This is because corn is the second most plentiful cereal produced for human consumption. Corn is a versatile crop, which means everything on a corn plant is usable. Nothing on the corn plant is wasted.
Husks are used for tamales, kernels are ground into food, the silks are used in medicinal teas, and the stalks become animal food. You can find cornstarch in just about anything on the grocery store shelf. With corn crop loss we are facing a devastating decline in what will be available to us.
How High Will Prices Rise?
Right now, we don’t know. What we do know is that no matter what, food prices will increase. However, how much will depend on the weather in the midwest from now until November 1st, so time to prepare is running out.
In addition to the storms in the midwest, China has lost 50% of its pork production due to swine fever. So, to give an example of how high prices could soar, here is what we are already seeing in pork prices: Pork prices are reported to have jumped in the United States by 84% since last year.
Can you imagine if other food prices jump up 84%? This is a possibility as two of our major crops for food consumption have been drastically affected.
These prices won’t go down for some time. We will have to wait at least until the next harvest (hopefully it will not be as devastating as this year) to see our prices reduced.
5 Reasons Food Prices Will Be Going Up
This year’s storms in the midwest are going to drastically impact our food prices, but the midwest storms are not the only causes for food price increases. Knowing these 5 causes of food price increases will help you to be better prepared for food shortages across the country.
#1 High Oil Prices
How do we get our food? Most food gets transported great distances before it hits our grocery stores. When gas prices go up, food prices increase. This is because they have to make up for the increase in the cost to deliver it.
#2 Climate Changes
Whether it is like the storms in the midwest or the effect of climate change elsewhere, the climate and related weather patterns affect our crop production and the desired harvest. When we have crop loss, there isn’t enough food to go around. This means food prices drastically increase.
#3 Government Subsidizes Corn Production
When the government decides to subsidize corn production for biofuels, it takes corn out of our food supply. As you saw above, much of our food, including the meat we consume, is based on corn production.
This means food prices will increase. Currently, we use 40% of corn crops to make ethanol which is up 6% from 2000.
#4 More Meat Consumption
With fad diets, such as the Keto and Adkins diets, people are eating much more meat than they used to. This means we need more feed for the livestock. It takes more grain to feed the animals for meat-based meals. The higher demand for meat means both higher grain and meat prices.
#5 World Trade Organization Limits
Sometimes, the World Trade Organization limits the amount of subsidized corn and what that country can globally stockpile. The U.S., European Union, and other developing countries have subsidized their agricultural industries for some time now.
This means farmers get an unfair trade advantage. This limits the amount of food available in a shortage. Thus, food prices increase.
If you hear about any of these types of situations, it is a good idea to start stockpiling your own food. I started my monthly food storage products delivery again a few months ago from ThriveLife. It’s all about being prepared before we need to be, right?
Food Prices Will Be Going Up: How to Prepare
It is hard enough to make it from one week to the next as it is, but when food prices increase there will be an even bigger struggle to put food on the table. This is why it is always important to be prepared with stockpiles of food and water.
You never know what can happen. We never know what financial strain could be placed on you and your family. You also never know if the food will even be available to buy. Check out my articles below to find out how you can start preparing for food shortages:
- Food Storage Secrets You Need to Know
- Food Storage Tips
- Survival and Emergency Food Storage
- The Right Food Storage
- 100 Low Budget Meals
Additionally, you can check out our monthly posts on what to plant and what to stock up on each month of the year! Here are couple of current posts to get you started:
Final Thoughts
You never want to be without enough food to feed your family. Whether it is a natural disaster, a food shortage, or another unforeseen event, being prepared is crucial to your survival. Don’t forget to keep a few can openers on hand.
Food prices will be going up due to the storms in the midwest and many of us are not prepared. Let this turn of events get you in the mindset of preparedness going forward. Thank you for being prepared for the unexpected. May God bless this world, Linda
Linda – I don’t like to watch the news these days as it always seems to be storms or fires or other things that will disrupt our way of living! I do watch the news but I don’t like to!
With the devastating fires in California, we will also see some real food issues in the next few years. Storms in other regions of the country will pass – next year the ground will produce food. But, with fires, you see a whole different scenario – destroyed long term crops like citrus, grapes (if you are a wine drinker, better buy a good supply of wine now!), and other perennial crops – could be years before those are producing again and that is IF the farmers can afford to replant.
I think what we are seeing is more and more of the devastation that one can read about in the Bible. Perhaps we are not in the end times but we better prepare ourselves for the end times. I know there will be those who argue with me on that but that is how I feel and what I believe.
One last thing: be prepared then you don’t have to be scared of what is coming.
Hi Leanne, great comment. You and I have no fear because we are prepared and can survive. I’m very worried about the food chain right now. Well, actually the last few years. It’s critical we stock up so we can continue to take care of ourselves. Linda
Your information is very much appreciated. Keep in mind most corn and soy is GMO. Everyone should be planting a Victory Garden. Even apartment dwellers can have a container garden to supplement their food supply. The goal of the One World Communist Government is starvation of millions. It worked in the past and it will work again for those in a pink fog with rose colored glasses. Thrive Life has excellent products as do a few others that are also NON- GMO. Blessings to you and yours. Tom.
Hi Tom, great comment, thank you! I know of several people who wear those “rose-colored glasses.” It’s not smart, that’s for sure. I love Thrive Life products. Stay safe, stay well, Linda
Has anyone else noticed egg prices dropping? I have been surprised – don’t know if it’s for the Keto folks, or what, but I think of all the budget recipes you have listed – eggs are certainly good to have around!
Gas prices were low for quite some time, but now going up quite a bit – I don’t understand how people cannot see the news & not prepare for events.
thanks for all you do!
Hi Kelley, I noticed eggs were lower at Costco, I’ve been wondering why as well. Eggs are a great source of protein and thankfully, for now, they are fairly cheap. I sometimes wonder if people just think everything is okay and nothing is going to change. I wonder if a few people never watch the news, I don’t get it. Thank you for your kind words, they mean a lot to me. Keep prepping. Linda
Hi Linda, I bought eggs, hubby bought eggs, we had eggs already in refrigerator. Lol. That’s when I decided to try something I have seen on several YouTube channels. I froze eggs. I haven’t tried them yet as I just did it. But I have heard that using them as part of a mix works fine. Plus I also have powdered eggs. Save the fresh for over easy. Marcia
Hi Marcia, oh my gosh, I love hearing this!!! Keep me posted!! Linda
This past week, we have lost power,co-op water well went down for a couple days ,we have had a stomach bug and now the hot water heater went out. If we had not prepared ‘for whatever may happen’ , we would have been in serious trouble. I am so very thankful we have a propane gas range to cook on. (that is how we heated water to bath and wash dishes). We have several lighting sources. I also have foods that are easy to prepare. Most are what I have personally canned or the meals in a jar that I have copied from another source. When I was a kid, we were quite poor, even though I never realized it. While at one point in time we may have had pancakes three times a day with various toppings (gravy,jam,molasses or stewed tomatoes), we always had food in our bellies, a roof over our heads and a safe place to sleep. I know how to bake bread, make pasta and pasta sauce. I can meats, veggies,soups/stews and fruits. I can grind wheat and corn. I plan to cook some rice and dehydrate it so it won’t need as much water or power to make later on. I have canned beans of various types for the same reason. I stocked up on our favorite spices. (Insert chuckle), I went to Big Lots last week while they had a sale of 25% off everything. I bought 10 jars of black pepper and several jars each of other spices. The cashier said, ‘my that’s a lot of pepper and spices’. To which I replied, we use a lot of pepper and garlic and other spices. I am teaching my grandkids to cook from scratch and to can. I am making ‘cook books’ for them as well. I print out several copies each of the recipes I like and put then in plastic page protectors and then into a 3 ring binder. I have 2 small butter churns, and in the next couple of weeks, we will be making butter. I call these ‘life skills’.I have grown veggies in containers because I can no longer do a garden because of health issues. My 14 yr old granddaughter loves kale ,tomatoes,jalapeno peppers and fresh onions. So those are a must. We don’t have to run to the grocery store every week. And we are well fed. I have non GMO seeds to plant. I would like to have chickens again, but until we can enclose the pen,that is not an option. ( we lost over 50 hens due to bobcats). My son wants to raise rabbits , but I am allergic to rabbit meat. There are quite a few wild hogs around. Our neighbor kills a couple each year and gives us some of the meat. And I share some of my home canned food with them.We have to look out for each other. (They are the only neighbors I can actually count on when things go south). I pray people will realize we are in the end times and get their priorities in line. Water, food and shelter . Thank you for another great post. God Bless and keep us all safe from those that intend us harm.
Hi Judy, you know I love hearing you are teaching your grandkids skills!! The pepper story is the best ever! I got the giggles over that one!! Your grandkids are so lucky you are making them cookbooks, that’s the best idea!!!I’m so glad you have some non-GMO seeds. Glad you survived the power outage and water well down. Stay safe, and stay well. May God watch over you, Linda