don't forget -- low carb is a fad ...!

[mdauster]

Another article dismissing low carbing as a fad
http://www.courant.com/business/hc-meatprices0516.artmay16,0,287634.story?coll=hc-headlines-business

[ladydoc442]

On the bright side, perhaps the cost of meat will go down considerably! And let's hope organic produce and dairy soon follows (yeah, right).

[Gaelen]

Benchmark wholesale prices for beef and pork are down more than 8 percent from a year ago and 20 percent for chicken, according to the Livestock Marketing Information Center. There is just an overabundance of protein on the market," the center's Jim Robb said. Retail prices for meats are forecast to be flat to 1 percent lower this year, compared with a 2 percent to 3 percent increase for all foods, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Prices that are "flat to 1 percent lower" sure doesn't sound like a pricing response to a supply glut to me, nor do I see meat/pork prices 8% lower or chicken prices 20% lower than this time last year in my local supermarkets. Boneles skinless chicken breasts are still $2.99/lb, whole chickens are actually UP to $0.79/lb. from a low two years ago of $0.59/lb, and beef and pork easily run the $2.99/lb to $4.99 per pound depending on cut that they were running last year at this time. In fact, the only thing that's consistently cheaper around here is seafood and vegetables...and central New York isn't exactly oceanside, nor are we known for our long growing seasons.

It looks to me from the REST of the information in the article that the problems the US is having in exporting meat due to bird flu and mad cow are giving overall prices more of a hit than anything happening on the domestic market. Although that probably doesn't make for as juicy a headline for an AP article--they should have given the story to the guys on the editing desk at the NY Post for a little juicing up. A Post copy editor can make anything sound interesting, even export issues giving US meatpackers a headache.

[LisaS]

wow. you can get boneless skinless chicken breasts for only 2.99/lb - is that named brand or no-name store brand? Whole chickens at only 0.79/lb ??

don't move to so cal - you might have a heart attack.

[Gaelen]

wow. you can get boneless skinless chicken breasts for only 2.99/lb - is that named brand or no-name store brand? Whole chickens at only 0.79/lb ? don't move to so cal - you might have a heart attack.

No chance of a heart attack, here, LisaS--my cardiac risk profile is pretty low (thanks to four years of Protein Power.) But yeah, those prices are usually for 'no name' store packaged chickens and chicken parts, or smaller brands. They're not for Perdue chickens. Then again, it's also the same price at the farmer's market for whole chickens. In NYC, those prices are about 20% higher. I'm really looking forward to the price drop my economics profs always insisted would result from a true supply and demand situation. :cool:

[LisaS]

oh yes - there is Supply & Demand *theory* - and then there is seeing it happen in the real world. I'm waiting too.