Majority of Canadians think food prices rising faster than household income
Vegetable prices top-ranked concern, followed by fruits and meat, Angus Reid poll finds
A new survey says most Canadians believe food prices are becoming less affordable — with the cost of vegetables identified as one of the main worries.
The Angus Reid poll done for the agri-food lab at Dalhousie University found 87 per cent of respondents agreed that food prices are increasing faster than their household income.
The inflation rate for October, according to the most recent data available, was 1.9 per cent, while food prices rose 3.7 per cent, compared with a year ago. The price of fresh fruit and vegetables was more than seven per cent higher than a year earlier.
The survey gathered responses from 1,509 people across the country in early December and found that vegetable prices were the top-ranked concern, listed by 69 per cent of respondents, followed by fruits at 60 per cent and meat at 54 per cent.
A slight majority — 53 per cent of respondents — said they intend to change their habits to save money. The most common ideas were eating out less often at restaurants and looking for discounts and coupons on their groceries.