[LifeIsGood01]

I'm in Broward, southeast Florida and grocery prices are high here.

and have they just gone up everywhere?

even Walmart has high prices on meats, fish, beef and pork, and it's often cheaper to buy them at local supermarkets that run sales.

[OpinionInOcala]

In my experience, prices can vary wildly even within the same city, among the same chains, in some places. As an example, I saw snow crabs legs at two different Publix stores located a handful of miles apart priced at $7.99/lb and $12.99/lb respectively on the same day. The only difference was average incomes in their respective, surrounding communities. The following day, I purchased 10lbs for the price of 6.15lbs while I was in the area of the former and then held an impromptu crab buffet for the family.

[kyle19125]

I'm always somewhat bewildered by talk of food being expensive and what the varying levels of prices considered reasonable are. I mean who sets a baseline price and determines that? No one. One person's high prices on beef are someone else's baseline, it's all about perspective and hardly an outrage.

[NorthStarDelight]

Florida food prices are very high compared to elsewhere - even in northern parts of the state. I'm often shocked to see the prices of milk whenever I'm down there - sometimes it's $1.25 a gallon more than here. Even stuff that's grown locally, like oranges and grapefruit are higher there than elsewhere - what a total rip-off.

When I was still living in Ft Lauderdale, I talked with some folks from California, and they were shocked at how much groceries cost - and California is a darned expensive state, as everyone knows.

To put it simply, food prices in Florida are a scam - the state government really needs to step up and lower the boom on food sellers down there.

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by NorthStarDelight

Florida food prices are very high compared to elsewhere - even in northern parts of the state. I'm often shocked to see the prices of milk whenever I'm down there - sometimes it's $1.25 a gallon more than here. Even stuff that's grown locally, like oranges and grapefruit are higher there than elsewhere - what a total rip-off.

When I was still living in Ft Lauderdale, I talked with some folks from California, and they were shocked at how much groceries cost - and California is a darned expensive state, as everyone knows.

To put it simply, food prices in Florida are a scam - the state government really needs to step up and lower the boom on food sellers down there.

I'm guessing you haven't considered transportation infrastructure and where most mass-produced food comes from? Florida has very little home-grown agriculture like other states which means it has to be transported long distances, which adds considerably to the cost of the original item. Stop and consider a moment that South Florida is around 400 miles from the FL/GA border. It's hardly a conspiracy, or rocket science...

[NorthStarDelight]

Originally Posted by kyle19125

I'm guessing you haven't considered transportation infrastructure and where most mass-produced food comes from? Florida has very little home-grown agriculture like other states which means it has to be transported long distances, which adds considerably to the cost of the original item. Stop and consider a moment that South Florida is around 400 miles from the FL/GA border. It's hardly a conspiracy, or rocket science...

Then explain to me why oranges and grapefruit are cheaper to buy in New York - yes, New York, than in the state in which they're grown? And you wouldn't happen to know that Florida is the biggest producer of winter vegetables in the United States next to California, would you?

I'd love to compare a shopping list from a Wegman's in Syracuse to a Publix or Albertson's in Ft Lauderdale and see how they stack up - summer or winter. You can bet your bottom dollar that the Syracuse total will be a whole lot less than Ft Lauderdale.

The attitude espoused by the poster above is one of the primary reasons why I was so happy to get out of Florida back in 2005 - there are just too many people down there that just don't get it.

[1insider]

Originally Posted by kyle19125

Florida has very little home-grown agriculture like other states which means it has to be transported long distances, which adds considerably to the cost of the original item. Stop and consider a moment that South Florida is around 400 miles from the FL/GA border. It's hardly a conspiracy, or rocket science...

Hold on. Florida produced over $8 billion total in all crops in 2011 and is the country's 2nd largest producer of vegetables. Besides being the top US producer of oranges and grapefruit we are also first in value of production of fresh market snap beans, cucumbers for fresh market, cucumbers for pickles, squash, sweet corn, fresh market tomatoes, sugarcane for sugar & seed and watermelons. Our groceries may be expensive but it ain't because of transportation costs in most cases.

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by NorthStarDelight

Then explain to me why oranges and grapefruit are cheaper to buy in New York - yes, New York, than in the state in which they're grown? And you wouldn't happen to know that Florida is the biggest producer of winter vegetables in the United States next to California, would you?

I'd love to compare a shopping list from a Wegman's in Syracuse to a Publix or Albertson's in Ft Lauderdale and see how they stack up - summer or winter. You can bet your bottom dollar that the Syracuse total will be a whole lot less than Ft Lauderdale.

The attitude espoused by the poster above is one of the primary reasons why I was so happy to get out of Florida back in 2005 - there are just too many people down there that just don't get it.

Yes, I'm sure you "get everything". Florida's loss is Georgia's gain...

Oranges and Grapefruits are cheaper "up north" because they're purchased in large quantity by grocery chains and distribution houses. What's left, comparatively speaking is much less in quantity and subsequently higher in price. In terms of comparing grocery chains in the Northeast versus South Florida you don't seem to get the transportation logistics of what happens to food after it's produced, which adds a hefty premium to the original cost. Did it ever occur to you why uber-popular national grocery retailers like Whole Foods and Trader Joe's were slow/reluctant to enter the Florida market, which is counter-intuitive given we're the fourth most-populated state? Transportation costs and supply-line logistics is why given their heightened cost. It's also why Whole Foods has very little "locally grown" produce in their stores here in Florida. First off there isn't a whole lot relative to population and the bid process is daunting with other large chains like Publix, Wegman's, Kroger, Safeway, WalMart, Target and others bidding on what's available. Hence the large quantities of produce seen here from places like California, Mexico, South America and even Canada....which are far away geographically, and from a distribution standpoint.

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by 1insider

Hold on. Florida produced over $8 billion total in all crops in 2011 and is the country's 2nd largest producer of vegetables. Besides being the top US producer of oranges and grapefruit we are also first in value of production of fresh market snap beans, cucumbers for fresh market, cucumbers for pickles, squash, sweet corn, fresh market tomatoes, sugarcane for sugar & seed and watermelons. Our groceries may be expensive but it ain't because of transportation costs in most cases.

Consider the premise of export and import, along with supply and demand as well as supply chain infrastructure. Just because it's produced doesn't mean it stays here.

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by 1insider

Hold on. Florida produced over $8 billion total in all crops in 2011 and is the country's 2nd largest producer of vegetables.

Actually Florida ranks 2nd in the "value of vegetable production", which is related to the premium paid for winter fruits and vegetables. That's completely different from quantity produced.