SPEAK OUT: Food Prices on Rise

You may have trouble finding staples at the grocery store, and food prices are on the rise — all as a result of the record summer heat and drought.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is predicting that grocery prices will shoot up between 3 and 4 percent next year, compared to normal grocery price inflation of 2.8 percent, according to The Washington Post. 

ABC7 reports that the price for a bushel of corn has gone up 38 percent since June, and beans have increased by 24 percent, which affects dairy farmers who use the products for feed.

“We used to get probably close to 30-40 dozen eggs a week and we're getting about seven to eight dozen eggs right now because of the heat,” egg farmer Armand Bechard told the news channel.

According to The Post, items like milk, eggs, beef, poultry and pork will all see a price bump due to the increased price for feed, but it is not yet known exactly how much more consumers will pay. 

The USDA predicts that beef prices will see the largest increase to about 4 or 5 percent, dairy will jump between 3.5 and 4.5 percent, poultry and egg products between 3 and 4 percent and pork prices between 2.5 and 3.5 percent, The Post reports. 

At the , located on Cherry Hill Road, ground beef was priced between $3.79 and $5.19 per pound, depending on the amount of lean meat, a rib steak was $10.49 per pound, a house steak was $10.29 per pound and a New York strip was $9.49 per pound.

Four ears of corn cost between $2.99 and $3.99, for white and yellow corn respectively, a whole pineapple was $2.99, a pound of cherries was $2.99 and a watermelon was $3.99 per pound.

However, The Post reported that most fruits, vegetables and processed foods will remain unaffected. 

Have you noticed prices climbing in your grocery stores? Which items will you cut back on if the prices increase as predicted? Vote in our poll and tell us in the comments.