Brooklyn meat store owners and consumers are expected to feel the impact of the Midwest floods on their wallets, with the price of meat and milk rising in the coming weeks.
The Midwest floods engulfed crops, raising the cost of corn and soybeans, which are used as animal fodder. In Brooklyn, it translates into high prices on beef, pork, eggs and cheese.
James Prince, the owner of a Coney Island meat store, recently received a letter from his supplier, Boar?s Head Meat, saying the company is raising prices on a variety of items due to high energy costs.
?It's an additional burden to the consumer as well as myself,? Prince says.
Besides meat, the state-controlled price for a gallon of milk in New York City is expected to rise to $4.37 next week, leaving the consumers with the question- to buy, or not to buy? ?You got to buy it no matter the price,? says one Brooklyn mom, ?because the children want it and need it.?
Local shoppers and businesses wonder if they will soon have to give up on meat and milk.