Oconto Falls consumers are spending just a little more at the grocery store than other state residents.
The Wisconsin Farm Bureau’s Marketbasket Survey showed that customers locally are spending $50.59 on 16 basic food items. The state average is $50.18, up from $49.60 a year ago.
Customers nationwide, on average, pay $51.54 for the same items.
In Oconto Falls, customers have seen prices go up on six items in the last 12 months, down on six items and stay even on three. Changes for the 16th item, Cheerios, are unknown due to the price being unavailable on WFB’s third quarter results in 2012.
Of the six items seeing an increase, three were meats. Ground chuck and chicken breasts each jumped up $1.31 per pound to $3.99 and $2.99, respectively, while sirloin tip roast jumped up 81 cents per pound to $4.59.
The six items that lowered in price did so at more modest rates. The biggest drop in price was seen in sliced deli ham, which went down 89 cents per pound to $3.89, while potatoes dropped 40 cents to $1.99 for a 5-pound bag.
Although Oconto Falls prices were higher overall, customers are paying less than the state average on eight items — apples, potatoes, milk, cheese, eggs, bread, deli ham and chicken breasts.
The increase in state prices was mainly attributed to potatoes. The 5-pound bag was $1.92 in September 2012 before dropping to $1.77 in March 2013, but prices jumped to $2.52 last month.
“Last year’s large potato crop lowered prices that continued through last spring. However, this year’s potato crop was smaller which temporarily increased prices over the summer,” WFB spokeswoman Amy Manske said. “When supplies are tight, prices go up. The September survey captured a price spike that has already moderated.”
The state increase is less than WFB officials were predicting at this time last year. The Farm Bureau predicted that the drought in 2012 would drive up 2013 prices statewide 3-4 percent, but the 58-cent increase in 12 months is only a 1.1 percent markup.
“We expected it to take a larger toll, but I think, if anything, it shows how stable we are in agriculture,” Manske said. “No matter what the weather, we do what we can to get quality crops off and make sure food keeps being produced.”
The survey is a quarterly look at the trends in food pricing in Wisconsin in relation to changing farm prices, weather and wholesale and retail food marketing. Members of the Wisconsin Farm Bureau collected price samples of 16 basic food items in 31 communities across Wisconsin in September.
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