Shopping shelves are more in vogue than they were in the early weeks of the coronavirus pandemic when residents were busy buying and hearing panic.
But prices for a variety of staples and many other food products have been steadily rising, forcing Sonoma County residents to make difficult decisions about how to feed their families.
Increased consumer demand for groceries by people who spend more time at home, coupled with a food supply chain repaired by the pandemic, have caused many items, including meat, dairy and fresh produce, to become more expensive.
And retail and supply chain experts say residents need to brace for further inflation in food prices.
Sierra Friar, a 35-year-old Santa Rosa mother of two young children, was recently fired and feels the strain of higher groceries is on her family’s budget.
“Meat has definitely gone up, and milk – kind of all essentials,” she said as she shopped at a Lucky supermarket in Santa Rosa.
The rising feed costs are hitting hardest on the nearly 30,000 provincial residents such as Friar – roughly one in 10 local workers – who lost jobs during the ongoing pandemic. Thousands more people have cut their working hours since much of the local economy went into a forced shutdown in mid-March to curb the spread of the coronavirus. And with the $ 600-a-week improved federal unemployment benefits that many of those residents trusted by now have expired, there are concerns that the region’s virus-induced food insecurity crisis will only worsen.
Friar’s husband was able to get his job at St. Joseph Health, which helps cover most of the family’s expenses. But without her income, she has become more budget conscious at shopping.
“We have kids, so we still have to get what we need to get, but I always try to find the cheapest goods,” she said.
Nationally, prices for most types of food have climbed since an initial crossing of shoppers this spring, according to data released last week by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The price of meat and poultry increased the most of each category, spanning more than 20% between March and June. Pork and poultry, meanwhile, increased by 9% and 7% respectively. The average prices for milk and dairy products, as well as fresh products, each grew by 2.5%.
Grocers and experts point to many reasons for the sticker shock. Simple supply and demand is one factor. Increased costs for food manufacturers who have phased in social distance measures is another. Restrictions on foreign imports during the pandemic are also to blame.
In addition, food distributors have difficulty turning goods intended for now-closed restaurants to groceries. And coronavirus outbreaks at large meat slaughterhouses across the country have disrupted production, leading to the dramatic spike in the price of meat, pork and poultry.
As food producers and distributors began to adapt, Phil Lempert, an analyst at the store in Santa Monica, said the nationwide supply chain remains “fragile.” He expects current problems to persist and affect prices, perhaps even after the pandemic is under control. To avoid future shortages such as those that occurred in March, Lempert said, the food sector needs to spend more on automation, shipping and health safety measures, costs that may be passed on to consumers.
‘The most important thing to say is that we have not seen anything yet. Prices will continue to go up, ”said Lempert.
The higher price of groceries comes as at least 3,400 more households in Sonoma County receive CalFresh benefits, formerly known as food stamps, since the pandemic began in March. That’s a 20% increase from March to June, according to the most recent data from the California Department of Social Services.
At the same time, thousands of locals are rushing into their cars to receive emergency measurement boxes at drive-to-food pantries in the North Bay. Redwood Empire Food Bank, the largest food donation center, expects to be able to feed about 160,000 people this year, twice the amount it normally serves annually.
David Goodman, chief executive of Redwood Empire, said the demand could grow even greater next month if lawmakers in Congress fail to reduce the extra weekly unemployment benefits in some amount. Last week, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to extend those payments to $ 400 a week, although it is unclear when or if the benefits will reach people who have lost jobs.
Goodman worries that families with less money to spend than price with sprinkles in the price often see food as a “discretionary expense.”
“We can not negotiate with the petrol station, the landlord or the energy company. “When food prices go up, people are forced to make difficult decisions: less food or less quality,” he said. “These two choices lead to poor health outcomes, leading to an unhealthy community.”
Debbie, a mother of two from Windsor who refused to give her last name, said the cost of utilities, clothing and other essentials also increased during the pandemic. She started shopping at the discount Grocery Outlet in Santa Rosa to save money.
“We do not buy so much (food) because prices have gone up significantly,” she said. “We really see that.”
Lawrence Jacobs, a buyer of supermarkets at Oliver’s Markets, said since orders for stay-at-home public health went into effect in March, the average price increase on each product sold in Oliver’s stores has been about 10% compared to the same period last year. years ago.
“There are only so many weeks that you can see that and not feel for the consumer,” Jacobs said.
To reduce quarks, area nurseries, including Oliver’s, say they are looking for discounts and sales on products if they can, instead of just shopping for extra profits. The problem is that food manufacturers and distributors have provided far fewer product promotions through ads and coupons, a major way in which many smaller grocery stores save on customers.
“Every time we get a deal, we try to pass it on to the customer,” said Joe Butwill, a manager at Pacific Market in Santa Rosa. “But if there are not so many of them, we can obviously not pass that on.”
Friar, the Santa Rosa mother, has found another way to save: by growing her own vegetables.
“Fortunately, it’s summer that we can eat from our garden,” she said. “But the stuff we can’t grow we have to buy, and that makes it expensive.”
You can reach Staff Writer Ethan Varian at [email protected] or 707-521-5412. On Twitter @ethanvarian
