2012 PRESS RELEASES

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August 10, 2012
HOW WILL NATIONWIDE DROUGHT AFFECT FOOD PRICES?
Contact: Elaine J. Lidholm, 804.786.7686

Many of you have called us at the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) to ask how this year’s weather will affect food prices. The fact is that the current drought in many parts of the nation, or any other event that affects prices for raw farm commodities, ultimately has only a marginal effect on what we pay at the grocery store or restaurant.

To help you understand the phenomenon, the USDA has prepared a graphic based on data from the USDA Economic Research Service's analysis of retail food prices and the food dollar, i.e. all the factors that affect what we pay for food.

The direct link to the graphic is here.

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