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But those most in need are more concerned that an immigrant may get a free bandaid.
Grocery Prices | SNAP benefits
- Thread starter nycfan
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“… The Labor Department warned in an obscure document filed with the Federal Register last week that “the near total cessation of the inflow of illegal aliens” is threatening “the stability of domestic food production and prices for U.S. consumers.”
“Unless the Department acts immediately to provide a source of stable and lawful labor, this threat will grow,” with increased funding for immigration enforcement from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the Labor Department said in the Federal Register, which is the place where all proposed rules are recorded for the public to view and comment.
Also, contradicting comments made by Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins that the U.S. farm workforce will become “100 percent American” as a result of mass deportations, the Labor Department noted that Americans are not willing to step into farm work and lack the skills to fill agricultural jobs that undocumented immigrants are abandoning.
“The Department concludes that qualified and eligible U.S. workers will not make themselves available in sufficient numbers,” the agency said.…”
lawtig02
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“… The Labor Department warned in an obscure document filed with the Federal Register last week that “the near total cessation of the inflow of illegal aliens” is threatening “the stability of domestic food production and prices for U.S. consumers.”
“Unless the Department acts immediately to provide a source of stable and lawful labor, this threat will grow,” with increased funding for immigration enforcement from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the Labor Department said in the Federal Register, which is the place where all proposed rules are recorded for the public to view and comment.
Also, contradicting comments made by Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins that the U.S. farm workforce will become “100 percent American” as a result of mass deportations, the Labor Department noted that Americans are not willing to step into farm work and lack the skills to fill agricultural jobs that undocumented immigrants are abandoning.
“The Department concludes that qualified and eligible U.S. workers will not make themselves available in sufficient numbers,” the agency said.…”
I hope Secretary Chavez-DeRemer sticks to the first floor of buildings for a while.
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“… The Labor Department warned in an obscure document filed with the Federal Register last week that “the near total cessation of the inflow of illegal aliens” is threatening “the stability of domestic food production and prices for U.S. consumers.”
“Unless the Department acts immediately to provide a source of stable and lawful labor, this threat will grow,” with increased funding for immigration enforcement from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the Labor Department said in the Federal Register, which is the place where all proposed rules are recorded for the public to view and comment.
Also, contradicting comments made by Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins that the U.S. farm workforce will become “100 percent American” as a result of mass deportations, the Labor Department noted that Americans are not willing to step into farm work and lack the skills to fill agricultural jobs that undocumented immigrants are abandoning.
“The Department concludes that qualified and eligible U.S. workers will not make themselves available in sufficient numbers,” the agency said.…”
Wait, you mean another trump initiative is hurting American's and costing us money?
Another trump EO wasn't well thought out? No shit, the man never actually thinks. No one in this administration thinks.
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I have some containers that I use for cereal storage.
In the past a box of my favorite cereal would fill this container about 80% full.
Today, the container held two boxes of the same cereal.
Between shrinkflation and inflation, food is becoming a burden. I don't know how the average American is handling it.
And it's bigger than just food, the more people spend on the basics, the less they have to spend on everything else.
It would be nice if we had a competent administration.
In the past a box of my favorite cereal would fill this container about 80% full.
Today, the container held two boxes of the same cereal.
Between shrinkflation and inflation, food is becoming a burden. I don't know how the average American is handling it.
And it's bigger than just food, the more people spend on the basics, the less they have to spend on everything else.
It would be nice if we had a competent administration.
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- 31,070
Also, for the last few months Wal-Mart has had poor quality bananas and I’ve gone to several stores only selling the individual bananas pulled apart by weirdos who seem to insist on pulling a bunch apart and leave an orphan banana behind.
superrific
Master of the ZZLverse
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Eye of the beholder, I guess.
I think it's weird when people accept the determination of the banana tree, or the grocery store, as to how many bananas they want to buy.
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To me it’s about leaving a solo banana orphan — I get splitting 6+ bananas into two smaller bunches. But pulling off one and leaving it just seems strange. Of course I eat a banana a day and I like them even when quite ripe as long as not brown mush, so even for one person a lot of bananas make sense.
Harris Teeter in Carrboro had a strawberry and blueberry shortage - pretty much an outage.
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I have not seen a shortage in Cary but I do find it damned near impossible to keep berries beyond a day or two. I nearly have to buy them the day I'm going to eat them or the day before. Otherwise, they are moldy. I've not had that issue so much in the past.
superrific
Master of the ZZLverse
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I noticed strawberries on mild sale near me today, so it must be regional.
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Reminds me of a great De Witt quote from All About Eve (a close second to Casablanca for most quality quotable moments in a movie ever):
“That was a stupid lie, easy to expose, not worthy of you.”
I know, Trump is fine with stupid lies, but this one is up there because most Americans directly experience the impact and direction of grocery prices at least once a week.
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“… The Labor Department warned in an obscure document filed with the Federal Register last week that “the near total cessation of the inflow of illegal aliens” is threatening “the stability of domestic food production and prices for U.S. consumers.”
“Unless the Department acts immediately to provide a source of stable and lawful labor, this threat will grow,” with increased funding for immigration enforcement from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the Labor Department said in the Federal Register, which is the place where all proposed rules are recorded for the public to view and comment.
Also, contradicting comments made by Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins that the U.S. farm workforce will become “100 percent American” as a result of mass deportations, the Labor Department noted that Americans are not willing to step into farm work and lack the skills to fill agricultural jobs that undocumented immigrants are abandoning.
“The Department concludes that qualified and eligible U.S. workers will not make themselves available in sufficient numbers,” the agency said.…”
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Having a hard time getting blueberries that don’t to mush in a couple days lately 3 different stores
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American ranchers oppose Trump’s “plan” to import more beef from Argentina
www.newsweek.com
“… According to the most recent data from the Department of Labor, the beef and veal index rose 13.9 percent in the 12 months to August, with uncooked beef steaks up 16.6 percent. Experts believe beef prices will remain elevated for the foreseeable future, given the lengthy process of replenishing herds and high tariffs on key exporting nations such as Brazil.
The White House has acknowledged the issue. On Friday, Trump said the administration was close to a “deal on beef” that could lower prices “pretty soon.” He did not elaborate.
Those representing American beef producers have warned that there is no quick fix to the issues plaguing the industry, with the U.S. Cattlemen’s Association saying that Trump’s comments “risk obscuring the real story.”
“America’s ranchers have weathered years of rising input costs, drought, and market shifts with unwavering resilience,” the organization said in a news release. “Today’s beef prices are a direct reflection of these challenges.”
“When policymakers hint at intervention or suggest quick fixes, they can shake the market’s foundation and directly impact the livelihoods of ranchers who depend on stable, transparent pricing,” added Justin Tupper, the association’s president. “Sudden price moves make it harder for independent producers to plan, invest, and keep their operations running.”
…
“Argentina exports only a small amount of beef to the United States—roughly 20,000 tons a year compared with more than 12 million tons of U.S. production,” he said. “So even a sharp increase would barely move retail prices.”
A beef deal with Argentina also risks further alienating U.S. farmers, many of whom have expressed frustration with the administration over its extension of a $20 billion lifeline—an amount that may soon double—to the South American country to prop up Milei’s economy ahead of the midterm elections on October 26. Soybean croppers in particular view Argentina as a direct competitor and were angered when, following the initial agreement, Argentina eased export restrictions and began shipping large quantities of soybeans to China.
Charlebois said cattle farmers had in the past fought against expanding imports from South America on similar grounds, and that given the difficulties already facing the industry, Trump should anticipate “strong opposition.”…”
Donald Trump to buy foreign beef to bring prices down
Beef prices in the U.S. are persistently high. President Donald Trump has promised to take action.
www.newsweek.com
“… According to the most recent data from the Department of Labor, the beef and veal index rose 13.9 percent in the 12 months to August, with uncooked beef steaks up 16.6 percent. Experts believe beef prices will remain elevated for the foreseeable future, given the lengthy process of replenishing herds and high tariffs on key exporting nations such as Brazil.
The White House has acknowledged the issue. On Friday, Trump said the administration was close to a “deal on beef” that could lower prices “pretty soon.” He did not elaborate.
Those representing American beef producers have warned that there is no quick fix to the issues plaguing the industry, with the U.S. Cattlemen’s Association saying that Trump’s comments “risk obscuring the real story.”
“America’s ranchers have weathered years of rising input costs, drought, and market shifts with unwavering resilience,” the organization said in a news release. “Today’s beef prices are a direct reflection of these challenges.”
“When policymakers hint at intervention or suggest quick fixes, they can shake the market’s foundation and directly impact the livelihoods of ranchers who depend on stable, transparent pricing,” added Justin Tupper, the association’s president. “Sudden price moves make it harder for independent producers to plan, invest, and keep their operations running.”
…
“Argentina exports only a small amount of beef to the United States—roughly 20,000 tons a year compared with more than 12 million tons of U.S. production,” he said. “So even a sharp increase would barely move retail prices.”
A beef deal with Argentina also risks further alienating U.S. farmers, many of whom have expressed frustration with the administration over its extension of a $20 billion lifeline—an amount that may soon double—to the South American country to prop up Milei’s economy ahead of the midterm elections on October 26. Soybean croppers in particular view Argentina as a direct competitor and were angered when, following the initial agreement, Argentina eased export restrictions and began shipping large quantities of soybeans to China.
Charlebois said cattle farmers had in the past fought against expanding imports from South America on similar grounds, and that given the difficulties already facing the industry, Trump should anticipate “strong opposition.”…”
gtyellowjacket
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They are definitely worse and rising faster than current inflation rates as well as rosing faster than historic rates.
- The food-at-home (grocery store or supermarket food purchases) CPI increased 0.4 percent from July 2025 to August 2025 and was 2.7 percent higher than in August 2024.
- The food-away-from-home (restaurant and other foodservice purchases) CPI increased 0.3 percent from July 2025 to August 2025 and was 3.9 percent higher than in August 2024.
Food Price Outlook - Summary Findings | Economic Research Service
ERS research and reporting of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for food contributes to an understanding of which food categories experience substantial price changes, how consumers spend their incomes on food, and how and why prices change.
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He also is suffering from implying/failing to correct the inference from his rhetoric that he would create policies that would not just reduce the inflation rate for groceries but actually lower grocery prices. Most Americans primary experience with commodity volatility is with the price of gasoline, which does actually see real price reductions as well as price spikes.
In the modern world, most groceries are standardized consumer goods with more normalized pricing associated with general retail, not raw material commodities as subject to that kind of price volatility (price reductions in particular). Yes, shortages of the underlying raw material can and does still cause temporary price spikes (see eggs and beef as recent examples), but overall grocery prices are more stable and far less likely to see large price reductions over time than commodities.
Anyway, even with the reduction in egg prices since the beginning of the year, consumer price for a dozen eggs has still increased more than the overall inflation rate this year. People who expected their grocery bill to magically drop like the price of filling their tank with gas sometime drops were always in for a nasty dose of reality.
And as you and others have noted, Trump’s lies on grocery prices are harder for him to get away with because people see the direct impact on their pocketbook at least once a week. He can tell his base that Portland, Oregon is burning to the ground and most of them believe him in large part because only a fraction of them have been there. He can say gas prices are $1.98 a gallon somewhere and they believe him and blame local politicians and businesses that their own gas price remain elevated by comparison, but also pleased that they are dropping.
But unlike his (politically astute) fixation on the price of gas at the pump, Trump isn’t actually interested in grocery prices. It was obvious with how hard it was for his campaign to get him to talk about grocery prices even with table full of grocery props around him. He repeatedly boiled his plan for grocery prices down to (a) get energy price down and everything else gets cheaper and (b) if I’m president, things will magically improve.
I think a result of his disinterest in the “old fashioned” word groceries is that Trump’s lies about grocery prices coming down lack even his own (often effective) nuance and built in deniability. He leaned on egg wholesale prices without paying as much attention to lagging retail prices; only under pressure did he acknowledge the skyrocketing price of beef and then teases. vague proposals. Also, he keeps bluntly stating that grocery prices are down and there is no more inflation, rather than his usual approach of claiming he heard that prices are way down somewhere. He just doesn’t care enough to come up with an effective lie.