KANSAN.COM / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN / WEDNESDAY, JUNE 16, 2010 / NEWS
MONEY
9
Meat prices rising as grill time arrives
BY SHANNA LARSON slarson@kansan.com
As the temperature has continued to rise since spring, so has the price of meat. Just in time for grilling season, meats have reached their highest prices of the year.
Matt Tingle, a senior from Cary, N.C., said he bought cheap meat that cooked quickly to save time and money.
"Since steak is expensive, we are buying more brats, hotdogs, chicken and hamburger, and that way we can still buy beer on a tight budget," he said.
College students are not the only ones looking for a way to cook out for less. Kevin Miller, meat manager at Hy-Vee, 3504 Clinton Parkway, said people were buying more chicken and cheaper cuts of meat as beef and pork prices have increased.
"The number one and two items sold since the prices have been up are two different cuts of chicken"
it was this time last year. MJ Ranch, a family-owned ranch, sells its beef to local stores and individuals.
Prices have gone up for a number of reasons.The demand for grilling meat is high this time of year and the supply of beef and pork is lower than
Prices did not go up on MJ Ranch beef this year, Joyce Williams, coowner of MJ Ranch said, and they had already sold all of this year's meat.
"We didn't want to raise our prices in the middle of the year," Williams
WHOLESALE MEAT PRICES PER POUND SINCE 2006
Miller said, "which is unusual for this time of year."
2006
$2.28
2007
$2.24
2008
$2.25
2009
$2.16
2010
$2.28
Source: USDA
said. "We'd rather sell all of our beef than part of it."
Some stores are catching on to the idea that people are looking for a cheaper way to grill out this season. Instead of loading up on the more expensive cuts, they are purchasing more of the cheaper cuts that are
"People are starting to be more adventurous and are buying things like a ribeye instead of a filet."
JOE FREEMOND Butcher at The Community Mercantile
selling so well.
"People are starting to be more adventurous and are buying things like a ribeye instead of a filet," said Joe Freemond, a butcher at The Community Mercantile.
The high pric-
of beef and pork have leveled off at the highest price of the year and will probably remain high until the fall, Miller said. Despite high meat prices, there are options to continue grilling on a budget.
"Some of the cheaper cuts tend to have a lot more flavor." Freemond said.
Please recycle this newspaper
The current price of ground beef is displayed at the meat counter at Hy-Vee grocery store, 3504 Clinton Parkway. Recently the price of meat has been on rise, affecting local grocery stores such as Hy-Vee, as well as consumers.
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