Olive oil, pork shoulder, onions among items that have shot up in price the most in Canada since 2018

Food prices in Saskatchewan have been on the rise, outpacing inflation rates, according to recent data from Statistics Canada. Since October 2018, essential items like olive oil, onions, pork shoulder cuts, margarine, and broccoli have all seen price increases of over 70 percent. In fact, the average price of 106 food items tracked by Statistics Canada in Saskatchewan has gone up by 32 percent in the same period.

This surge in food prices has become a cause for concern among the public. To address this issue, the federal government has announced a two-month pause on GST for certain food items starting on December 14. Shoppers like Maggie Rex from Regina are feeling the impact of these rising costs, especially families with multiple children. “It’s just ridiculous, the amount that’s gone up for them in the last few years,” she lamented.

Hans Brommki, another shopper in Regina, shared his experience of buying less food overall due to the price hikes, particularly with pork products. “I buy a lot less of it than I used to,” he admitted. Despite trying to cut back, Brommki finds it challenging to avoid purchasing certain fruits and vegetables that have seen significant price increases.

According to Michael von Massow, a professor at the University of Guelph specializing in food economics, there isn’t a single reason for these price spikes. Factors such as droughts in major food-producing countries, ongoing conflicts like the war in Ukraine, and a weaker Canadian dollar have all contributed to the rising costs. Canada’s reliance on imports from the U.S. makes it susceptible to currency fluctuations, further exacerbating the situation.

The price of margarine serves as an example of how these various factors intersect. Von Massow explained, “Olive oil went through the roof because of very bad growing conditions in the Mediterranean basin, in Spain and Italy. And so, we saw those prices go up. That was made worse by the fact that sunflower oil wasn’t coming out of Ukraine.” These interconnected issues have led to price increases across different food categories.

One product that has seen a significant price hike is olive oil, with prices rising by 119 percent since October 2018. Will Levirs, who operates specialty olive oil stores, attributes this surge to droughts in southern Europe that have impacted production. While Canada imports olive oil from various countries, the European drought had a substantial influence that couldn’t be offset by other suppliers.

Looking ahead, experts predict that food prices in Saskatchewan will continue to rise, albeit at a slightly lower rate compared to the national average. The impact of external factors like geopolitical conflicts and climate change underscores the need for proactive measures to mitigate the effects of rising food costs on consumers.