Expect Food Prices To Remain High

A food professor at Dalhousie University says we better get used to higher food prices.

 

"This year we were already expecting a high food inflation rate, back in December for 2020. That's not going to change," said Dr. Sylvain Charlebois. "The problem is that the general inflation rate is going to be very low, so 4% will probably feel more like a 10%. It's good news for people who want to stay home and cook because you'll save money but it's bad news for people who will likely go back to their old ways, go out to the restaurant because you're probably going to be spending way more than before."

 

Charlebois notes on the supply side, COVID-19 is making everything more expensive, adding new cleaning protocols, higher salaries, and building infrastructure for e-commerce will all cost more.

 

On the flip side, he adds each household in Canada is saving approximately $5 a day by cooking at home and avoiding restaurants.

Video: Dicamba Returns for Georgia Farmers: What the New EPA Ruling Means for Cotton Growers

After being unavailable in 2024 due to registration issues, dicamba products are returning for Georgia farmers this growing season — but under strict new conditions.

In this report from Tifton, Extension Weed Specialist Stanley Culpepper explains the updated EPA ruling, including new application limits, mandatory training requirements, and the need for a restricted use pesticide license. Among the key changes: a cap of two ½-pound applications per year and the required use of an approved volatility reduction agent with every application.

For Georgia cotton producers, the ruling is significant. According to Taylor Sills with the Georgia Cotton Commission, the vast majority of cotton planted in the state carries the dicamba-tolerant trait — meaning farmers had been paying for technology they couldn’t use.

While environmental groups have expressed concerns over spray drift, Georgia growers have reduced off-target pesticide movement by more than 91% over the past decade. Still, this two-year registration period will come with increased scrutiny, making stewardship and compliance more important than ever.