Southern California

Whip Out Your Wallet: 2015's Higher Grocery Prices

You might get an unwelcome surprise during your next trip to the grocery store: prices of some of Southern California's most popular foods are expected to rise in 2015.

Among the items that will probably trigger sticker shock:

  • Avocados: Their growing popularity, combined with the California drought, has farmers warning of an upcoming shortage. Growing a pound of avocados requires more than 70 gallons of water, and a whopping 95% of the avocados grown in the U.S. are from California farms. The bottom line: your guacamole could soon come at a higher price.
  • Olive Oil: Drought conditions in Europe are expected to push up the price of this popular pantry item. Producers in Span have just weathered a very dry year, while it Italy, the olive crops have been hit by a fly infestation. The double whammy has lowered the olive oil supply, while the demand has risen by 50% over the past two decades.
  • Eggs: A happy development for California's chickens is about to mean pricier eggs for you. A new state law requiring farmers to release hens from small cages so they can move around and stretch their wings went into effect January 1. That means farmers have had to build new accommodations, or reduce the size of their flock, which has already made the cost of eggs surge — and even higher prices are expected.
  • Girl Scout Cookies: The Los Angeles and Orange County chapters of the Girl Scouts have decided to boost their prices to $5 a box — a dollar more than last year. But there's a bright side: starting January 25, for the first time ever, you'll be able to buy Girl Scout Cookies online.
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