As an OSer scratch cooking, what ingredients are going to be effected by poor crops?

fuddle

I'm looking to build my stocks in preparation for rising prices/shortages of ingredients due to poor crops this year.

Can we help build a comprehensive list at all?

I have read that tea is effected. Some may argue this isn't important... I would argue it's vitally important

Gigervamp

The drought in the States has affected the corn crops. So much so, that they're calling for the government to suspend quotas for corn ethanol production.

Here's an interesting article: How the drought impacts corn crops and your grocery bill. It's surprising how much food uses corn in it's production, so those items will no doubt increase in cost. It's also used in animal feed, so the cost of feed goes up leading to the cost of meat rising too.

shelley_crow

It won't just be food that is affected, I was nosying on the link that Gigervamp posted and found a list of 12 products that contain corn

http://galleries.forbes.com/gallery/12_Surprising_Products_That_Contain_Corn#image=0dKH3yP6amfAd&view=filmstrip

Toothpaste, nappies, make up, perfume and aspirin anyone?

luxor4t

I read "Frugal Upstate", a blog by an American mother, living in NY State. Here is her take on the situation - scary reading and a few suggestions on how to protect your pocket: http://www.frugalupstate.com/frugal-living/historic-us-drought-and-its-effects-on-crops-herds-and-your-pocketbook/

jamanda

Gigervamp wrote: »

The drought in the States has affected the corn crops. So much so, that they're calling for the government to suspend quotas for corn ethanol production.

Here's an interesting article: How the drought impacts corn crops and your grocery bill. It's surprising how much food uses corn in it's production, so those items will no doubt increase in cost. It's also used in animal feed, so the cost of feed goes up leading to the cost of meat rising too.

Thank you, that is most informative. I thought I was wired in, but had no idea regarding lots of those items.

Butterfly_Brain

So that means nearly everything will be affected then. Because Russia is talking about stopping grain exports because of a bad harvest as well, So that will be all products that contain wheat such as flour, pasta, bread etc, which will have a knock on effect on the price of meat and eggs. Heavy monsoons have hit rice and sugar production, tea is affected by drought and the cocoa crop looks very precarious, not to mention all fresh fruit and veg :eek:
So I would look to trying to stock up on as much as you can afford now, because the prices will start going through the roof by September and if this years harvests have failed, that means food prices next year will be at an all time high, so get some seeds in and grow as much of your own as you can too. I don't like invoking panic buying, but I do pass on the wisdom of having a good stock for times of need.

Rainy-Days

Potatoes in this country have been rotting in the ground due to the excessive rain. Some fields have been water logged. The same goes for carrots as well; but potatoes will increase in price and that includes the price you will pay for the chips from the take out as well!!

valk_scot

I stock up on things I'm going to use when they're at a good price. I don't stock up with less used items unless they're an utter bargain. That might seem blommin' self evident but really, if I don't use an item a lot then the impact on my budget of it increasing in price is going to be minimal, no? And that money might be better used for other things, like insulation or a warm coat.

So my advice is to make a list of the top twenty or thirty food items you use most, work out what you can store most easily and look for bargains there. And as has been said, non-food items can also be affected so it's worth keeping your eyes peeled for ultra good buys there too, it all feeds back into the budget after all.

In other words more of what we do already, but with a tighter focus on what may go up and what you yourself use most of. I've had the same jar of instant coffee for eight years now (I swear!) but we go through a lot of tea bags so guess what I stockpile? Rice, dried lentils, good cooking oil, flour, sugar, and dried beans if you use them. Tins of basics like tuna, tinned tomatoes, beans, corned beef and any vegetables you use. Dried fruit for baking. Honey is an especially good one, I don't expect the 12oz jars of Value honey will be 99p much longer!

ETA: And for all us Grow Your Own people the price of seeds is set to skyrocket for new stock so if you see last years being sold off cheaply and it still has a year or three to run in date, grab it if you'll use it.

dandy-candy

Everything will go up. Time to start digging a Victory garden me thinks?

PipneyJane

valk_scot wrote: »

I stock up on things I'm going to use when they're at a good price. I don't stock up with less used items unless they're an utter bargain. That might seem blommin' self evident but really, if I don't use an item a lot then the impact on my budget of it increasing in price is going to be minimal, no? And that money might be better used for other things, like insulation or a warm coat.

So my advice is to make a list of the top twenty or thirty food items you use most, work out what you can store most easily and look for bargains there. And as has been said, non-food items can also be affected so it's worth keeping your eyes peeled for ultra good buys there too, it all feeds back into the budget after all.

In other words more of what we do already, but with a tighter focus on what may go up and what you yourself use most of. I've had the same jar of instant coffee for eight years now (I swear!) but we go through a lot of tea bags so guess what I stockpile? Rice, dried lentils, good cooking oil, flour, sugar, and dried beans if you use them. Tins of basics like tuna, tinned tomatoes, beans, corned beef and any vegetables you use. Dried fruit for baking. Honey is an especially good one, I don't expect the 12oz jars of Value honey will be 99p much longer!

ETA: And for all us Grow Your Own people the price of seeds is set to skyrocket for new stock so if you see last years being sold off cheaply and it still has a year or three to run in date, grab it if you'll use it.

Very sage advice. (Bolding is mine.)

Ironically, the price of many dried goods started to fall a couple of months ago because last year was a good year for rice and wheat whereas 2010 was dire. Those stocks have now made their way through the supply chain to the supermarkets. So, if you have the money, now could be a good time for bargains. We recently bought a 10kg bag of Atta flour (chapatti flour) for £3. (I use it for bread making and all other baking.) A month ago, we picked up 20kg of basmati rice for £15 in Mr T.

It won't be long before the supermarkets put their prices back up to 2011 levels or even higher.

PipneyJane

fuddle wrote: »

I'm looking to build my stocks in preparation for rising prices/shortages of ingredients due to poor crops this year.

Can we help build a comprehensive list at all?

Fuddle, the easiest way to build up your stocks is to take a look at your shopping lists over the last year or so, and work from there. What do you buy regularly? What do you use regularly? Start your list with those items. Include things like toilet paper.

Also, what seasonal items do you buy that might be affected? Is there a treat you make for Christmas or Easter that you don't make at any other time of the year? Can you stock up on the ingredients now? An example from my own life: the price of coconut milk went up over winter, due to problems with last year's harvest. I'd heard there were problems so stocked up before the prices got too high. However, every Easter I make coconut rough to give people instead of Easter eggs. Coconut rough uses desicated coconut. I usually make extra to take into work after Easter but this year, I couldn't. I'd used up all my stored desicated coconut on our treats and then I couldn't find any more in the shops! I didn't find any until July.