We've all heard that saying that when a butterfly in Japan flaps its wings the affect is felt around the world. Frum Jews have their own little butterfly that is having great affect in our world.
When the Rubashkin slaughterhouse in the Midwest was raided a few weeks ago, for immigration and identity theft violations, people were wondering if that would have any affect, and when, on the cost of kosher meat.
The when is now. All the supermarkets in our area have large fresh kosher food sections as well as frozen kosher food sections. Rubashkin fresh chicken had always been available at two of them. It no longer is. In addition, all the markets carry Empire chicken. I've told you of my great buy on Empire--not going to see that again. Today, Stop and Shop, whose kosher chicken prices have always been fairly decent at $2.69 a pound for cut up fresh chicken when not on sale had that cut up fresh chicken at $3.79 a pound--yes, you read that correctly. And a package of fresh chicken pulkas--drumsticks--was an amazing $4.45 a pound. Bottom quarters--leg and thigh--were @2.99 a pound. You don't really want to see what chicken breasts were going for.
The pinch in food prices is hitting home in a big way. And I wish that darned butterfly would stop flapping its wings. Wouldn't try and use Raid on that butterfly--a raid is what got us into this trouble to begin with.
5 comments:
I'm confused. how does Empire connect to Rubashkin? I thought they were separate companies.
Empire went up a lot here too. I guess that Empire can't produce enough to make up for the missing Rubashkin chickens but the demand is still there for the same amount of chicken. Where there is demand then stores raise the prices because they know that people will pay them.
Let's see--wine, milk and dairy, fruits, vegetables, cereals and bread and now meat. Is there any area of keeping kosher that prices are not going up in?
Good my freezer is still stocked!
We only serve meat or poultry once a week, but I can see the budget hurting anyways.
We're not thinking broadly enough about those butterflies. It's not only the cost of raw meat for individual consumers that is going to be affected. Buy anything from the takeout food places? They will be paying more for their supplies as well, and that means raises in their costs. Restaurants will also be paying more, so we will be paying more.
Post a Comment