http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/knau/local-knau-928719.mp3
Phoenix, AZ – The latest quarterly survey of food prices shows costs are down,
at least a little bit. The Arizona Farm Bureau Federation reports
its market basket of 16 basic items is now $46.48, down more than
$2 from the same period three months earlier, though it remains
higher than last year. A couple of items appear to be helping to
drive down the costs. Topping that list is sliced deli ham, where
the cost has dropped by more than 20 percent. Farm Bureau
spokeswoman Peggy Jo Goodfellow said that may simply be a
marketing decision
(It could be that our pork industry has decided to run some
specials to get interest back on buying ham. Now that pricing
overall has been down a little.)
Goodfellow said the Farm Bureau also found a big drop in the
price of flour. She said this sharp price decrease also appears
to be a conscious decision by processors to move the product when
the supply was getting high. But Goodfellow said they're not
limiting their efforts to lowering prices.
(I noticed some of the stores even had on the shelves a little
holder and it had recipe cards, something to use that flour, some
way to generate interest in people not buying the processed items
from the bakery but actually baking and using flour.)
For Arizona Public Radio this is Howard Fischer.