'The worst is yet to come': Rising food costs devouring Maritime household budgets

Many Maritimers experiencing 'sticker shock' Some experts say the rising prices of food is going to get worse before it gets any better. Heidi Petracek explains.

COLE HARBOUR, N.S. — Erin Cameron was shocked when she added up food costs for feeding her family of six.

“$952.57 in the last 30 days,” she says, holding up the calculator.

That’s double what she would typically spend this time last year.

“That doesn't include our day-to-day toilet paper, paper towel, laundry detergent,” she adds. She says it also doesn’t include pet food for their dog and three cats.

With four growing kids, Cameron has always been conscious of the household budget, but her shopping strategy has changed in recent months.

“I used to go to all the stores and shop the sales, but with the cost of gas, that's gotten a little bit harder, so I now try to keep it to two or three stores,” she says.

On top of shopping sales, Cameron says the family is also eating out less and making different food choices.

“We've switched to a lot of plant-based proteins, because the cost of chickpeas and black beans is quite a bit less than animal protein,” Cameron explains.

Food policy expert Sylvain Charlebois has bad news for families like the Cameron's.

“I hate to say this, but the worst is yet to come,” says Charlebois, the director of Dalhousie University’s Agri-Food Analytics Lab.

Charlebois says a shortage of grain caused by the war in Ukraine, along with lingering supply chain problems from the pandemic, kicked off a cycle of increasing food prices in February.

Add in dry farming conditions out west, and he expects more price increases are likely this fall.

Charlebois also predicts another hike in the price of milk next week.

“We're actually not out of the woods yet, and that's why I think it's important for families to revisit their budget and see exactly what needs to be recalibrated,” he says.

Increasing food costs are something the head of the Beacon House Food Bank in Lower Sackville, N.S., anticipated.

Rod Rowlands used to work in the food supply industry and saw the proverbial writing on the wall.

His organization stocked up early on food supplies like cans of soup, tinned milk, pasta, and pasta sauce, with the goal of stretching the charity’s dollars and preparing for what could be next.

“Luckily we haven't had any other supply chain issues thus far, but that's today,” Rowlands says.

He’s concerned about what fall will bring, when Maritimers have to take seasonal expenses, like home heating, into account.

“I remember seven or eight years ago, it was a question of, do you eat or do you heat?” says Rowland. “And that was one of the things I think we may see again.”

At the same time, Cameron adds salaries aren’t keeping pace with inflation and all the rising costs.

“Right now, we're making do with the income that we have,” she says.

While she says she feels fortunate to be a dual-income household, she can’t help but think of those who don’t have the resources to make ends meet.