Food inflation forecast at four per cent

Food prices are likely to rise by four to six per cent next year, according to the annual report prepared by the universities of Dalhousie and Guelph.

Beef prices will lead the increase and will cost about seven per cent more than this year’s already high prices. 

Because farmers hold back more females to increase herds, supplies will remain tight until 2027.

Sylvain Charlebois, director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie and lead author, also anticipates higher prices for chicken as people switch to it as cheaper than beef.

He also anticipates higher prices for things such as canned goods.

 Groceries on centre-of-the-store ailes have so far been relatively steady, but not next year.

Factors pushing prices higher are tariffs, labour and processing.