Wednesday 7 November 2018

Food price rises after Brexit

I have trawled the internet, reading official articles about probable food price rises after Brexit, although some have already risen such as bacon, pork and beef. In this country, we now only produce 30% of the food that we need (such a change from post war production).

Here are the list of goods expected to rise:

Butter, cheese - foreign and oddly enough, cheddar, yoghurt up by 8%
Beef up between 5% - 29%
Other meat products up 6%
Pork and bacon already up 20%, more to come
Chicken up 25%
Fruit and vegetables, including potatoes, up by 4%
Tomatoes up between 9% and 18%
Broccoli up 10%
Cod up 18%
Bread (non-wheat and oat) up 2%

Some of the increases are due to increased feed and labour costs. We have already seen this year, orchards of fruit left to rot due to shortages of foreign pickers. China, after severe flooding, have bought a good portion of our pork whilst we continue to import, crazy or what.

Some items that are sourced outside of the EU may rise but not so much. These include Quinoa, Rice, Beans, Pulses etc.

It is recommended you source British flour, oats, white sugar in particular, local salt, cider vinegar, and mustard. Buy British afterwards, when possible.

EU products to source now are olive oil, pepper, pasta, spices, herbs, tomato paste and tinned fish. There are probably far more but I couldn't find anything about those.

If we leave without a customs agreement, things could get very bad with severe delays both in and out of the UK.

Major supermarkets have already siad that due to modern computerised stocktaking, and day to day ordering from the global economy, they are incapable of storing food too long in advance.

Some drug manufacturers have already started stock piling, as drugs are a darn site easier to store than food.

I made the decision this year to increase out soft fruit production. Tinned fruit in juice rather than syrup, is recommended to store long term.

Although I had started my Brexit storage, I have used some of it up. I shall now start again and find somewhere different to store it for use later on.As prices could rise between March and June, I shall make sure that a lot of what I store will be for the summer and autumn months.







15 comments:

  1. Great advice. I wonder why Cheddar is expected to rise in price, seeing as it's made here in Somerset? I was very surprised to read that this country now only produces 30% of the food we need....shocking, really.

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    1. I too thought it strange about cheddar.

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  2. I don't believe scaremongering so I don't read it. Panic buying will lead to shortages and price increases.

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    1. No scaremongering here, merely supplying information from official sources about possible problems. I would rather buy bits every now and then to avoid panic buying.

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    2. Forewarned is forearmed as far as I'm concerned, and certainly not scaremongering. I haven't read about anyone panic buying, just making sensible decisions in order to be prepared in case the worst happens. Those on minimum wage, zero hours contracts will be amongst those least able to cope with rising prices. I'll be supporting someone in that position so will continue to stock up my SHTF cupboard, rather than sticking my head in the sand.

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    3. Agreed! I’m sure if those just before food rationing was introduced had been able to stock a few extra bits, without panic buying due to poor wages, they would have done so.

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  3. My goodness I was surprised to read that we only produce 30% of the food we need! The increase in prices is already hard as wages/pensions are not increasing enough to keep up with inflation. With all those added increases it makes you wonder what we will be eating.

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    1. Strange isn’t it. With lots of green belt land being built on, its hardly surprising. Building should be on brown belt only if possible. No going back.

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  4. Here in the US we are starting to deal with the results of the trade tariffs. I know many people were surprised by how much we get from Canada, Mexico, Brazil, etc. I am not motivated by any fear mongering but come from a long line of be prepared people. Perhaps a holdover from my families homesteading, living a Loooooong way from stores and just general frugality. I like to know that if anything should happen we would be okay for many months. Being retired and living on a relatively fixed income it is just prudent to have to have things prepared. It also helps when others need help. And if cheese, especially cheddar were to become in short supply or prohibitively expensive I would be a in world of hurt! Love, love cheese!

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    1. Are these the tariffs that Trump brought in? Didn’t realise you are getting affected so much. Know what you mean about cheese!

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  5. I was really bothered to read that since quinoa became trendy, the global price has rocketed and the Peruvians for whom it forms a major part of the staple diet, are struggling to afford it. It disturbs me that hipsters in Hackney are causing hunger in Cusco.

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    1. Tried it but not at all keen. I guess fads cause lots of problems.

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  6. Our prices went up in Canada due to the ongoing tariffs with the United States. I have been buying Canadian where I can and from any country but the US. I really miss grapes though.

    Stock piling is a good idea at least it will take you through the rough changeover when it happens. And if it doesn't you still have a nice stock for any rough weather through this winter.

    God bless.

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    1. It doesn’t feel right to just ignore the possibility. Tariffs seem to be causing problems all over the place.

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  7. Very interesting I am going to start a stockpile in the spare room as we are on a savings mission and the thought of prices rising is quite frightening, I would rather be prepared.

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