Why Does Bacon Cost So Much In Michigan Or Is It Everywhere?
When did this happen?
One day you're gonna listen to your father...
My dad visited me this past weekend for the Spartans game. He got here Friday night. I was light on groceries and don't really do breakfast. We made our way to a local grocery store to grab some things for breakfast on game day.
He warned me before we got to the store. It was a casual conversation so I didn't really hear him when he said it. But when we got to the meat department and he went to grab a package of bacon, his words rang loud and clear and were manifesting before my very eyes.
"Son bacon has gotten expensive."
Now when he said expensive, I don't know if I heard him follow up with the price I saw in front to me.
Maybe it was the name brand.
No matter.
Package after package of bacon coming in at almost (or over) TEN BUCKS.
I later found out it wasn't just one store but several. Also of note, not all brands were this expensive but a fair amount was. On average, I'd say about $7 - $8. Needless to say, bacon ain't cheap.
Pops was right again.
Tell me why bacon is so sky-high?
2 things. Pandemic and supply and demand.
The domestic pork supply chain was one of quickest to get knocked out of whack when the Covid-19 virus started its spread in the US. (CNN)
Prices for pork are up because of supply and demand, Mary Kelpinski, CEO of the Michigan Pork Producers Association, recently told the Free Press.
"Nationally, our numbers are down," Kelpinski said. "Demand is very good. Everyone wants bacon, but we have fewer pigs."
There will be bacon, she said, but it's just a little more expensive. (freep)
It's Michigan and everywhere else too.
Now comes the real kick in the pants and purse my friends. It's gonna be this way for a while.
"But do not expect a rapid price concession the next few months," Speck said, "as retailers are typically slow to bring bacon prices back down."Feed, freight and labor costs have also risen significantly, said Trey Malone, assistant professor and agricultural economist at Michigan State University. (CNN)
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