Survey shows Wisconsin food prices up 5 percent in 2011

MADISON, Wis. — A survey by the Wisconsin Farm Bureau shows food prices are up 5 percent this year.

The bureau's 'marketbasket' survey totals the cost of 16 food items. In the first three months of 2011, the total was $48, up $2.39 from December's price for the same items.

The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics shows prices for meat, poultry and fish are up more than 7 percent from last February. The higher meat prices are linked to increased global costs for corn, soybeans and wheat in the past year. That caused farmers to reduce the number of cattle and hogs they raise, which in turn, tightened the supplies of beef and pork and drove up the cost to consumers.

The Journal Sentinel says of the 16 items surveyed, apples rose the most, up 18 percent.