Food expert says some prices are coming down

Grocery shoppers may be noticing a bit of a shift in pricing when filling their carts.

“Some products are actually cheaper. If you look around, you’ll find some good deals in the HRM and the Atlantic region,” says Sylvain Charlebois, the head of Dalhousie University’s Agrifood Lab.

Items like pork have dropped 15 per cent in price in the last year.

Avocados are down 10 per cent and a number of citrus fruits are also cheaper.

“The citrus story is very much about crops. There was a good crop in different parts of the world. It’s not just about Florida anymore. A few years ago, we were at the mercy of Florida. Now many countries actually produce citrus, even in Asia,” Charlebois says.

The price drops, however, aren’t necessarily being noticed by consumers.

“Maybe some of them come down but prices are very up,” says Tatiana Adighiuzelova.

To stretch her grocery dollar, Adighiuzelova has to make choices.

“I just cut out which I think I don’t need, maybe it’s not important. I just cut it out, I buy mostly just what is needed,” she says.

“As far as meat goes, meat has been a little bit down since I’ve seen recently, so I try to stock up. Try to stay away from the supermarkets until stuff comes a little bit down,” adds Brydon Evans.

Despite the downward trend on the price of some items, others are heading in the other direction.

“There are some items that are up 40 per cent compared to last year --- celery. The dairy section is certainly a big issue,” says Charlebois.

Bread and pasta are both more expensive too. Charlebois says money can be saved as long as shoppers are willing to alter their grocery lists and go with what’s on sale as opposed to what’s on their dinner menu.