can anybody tell me why most fruit/vegetables cost more than meat/poultry?

Question

in london, i have found that fruits n vegetables cost more that meat (pound for pound in the shops). why is that? that's ok for me as i eat mainly meat but my gf is a vegetarian and she ain't happy about it...

Answer 1

Your best bet in that case is to buy stuff from markets - I live near Woolwich and can get a lot of fruit and veg really cheaply. Never buying from supermarkets is the key. There are also a number of organic box schemes around - we get a really decent amount of fruit and veg for 2 people per week for a tenner. Try www.uk5organics.org.uk.

Answer 2

This is largely because governments subsidize meat production to a higher degree than fruit and veg. Only grain is more subsidized (that means the government gives the farmers your tax dollars to keep growing stuff to keep the price down). And most of the grain goes to.. you guessed it... feeding meat animals.

If the government stopped subsidizing meat production, stopped handing checks to the corporations that produce most of the meat, very very very few people would be able to afford the cost of a chicken or a steak. Before the turn of the last century, most people were vegetarian out of necessity b/c they couldn't afford meat, only the rich could. However, corporate interests (Like the US Cattlemen's Association) lobby for your tax dollars and they get them.

If only the farmers who grew fruit and veg could afford a powerful lobbyist front, we might get affordable food.. but no... Or, the government could stop unfair corporate welfare altogether and the market could stabilize itself (in theory, anyway).

Answer 3

Not true everywhere, it is a market condition that reflects local availability. Here in California which is mostly an agricultural state, even the best of organic fruits and veggies usually cost less than meat. But I imagine that given weather and soil conditions and scarcity of land in England, meat and dairy is probably a more dominant industry, and you probably import large quantities of fruits and veggies from Europe and South America? So you are paying for transportation costs and spoilage during shipments.

Answer 4

Well its all about how much a certain country produces what and in what quantity. Some countries cant grow some vegs and fruits so they have to import them from other countries so thats why the costs are higher. You can search UKs offcial trade website for more information regarding different imports and exports which will tell why a certain product is expensive. Hope that helped :)

Answer 5

If you buy off a farmers market then foods do tend to cost more, the majority of the time its best to buy in bulk because of the deals they offer. I dont shop much at my farmers market, usually if i am after something special or just passing through. Even thou supermarkets are great. I quite like sainsburys for fruit and veg, they offer alot of selection and good prices. They even have a value pack range for those who are on a low budget.

Answer 6

Here in the US it's very similar. We've had issues with crop eating insects, crop loss due to weather, etc. You can grow a cow or a pig or a chicken anywhere. Certain foods only grow in certain areas. If the crop is depleted by weather or insects, the farmer in turn has to raise the price. You're also paying much more for shipping (higher gas prices = higher shipment costs). That's my theory!

Answer 7

Because it spoils so much faster. They have alot of loss they have to make up for. Every crate they recieve of produce has at lease some that cannot be sold so it adds to the price. Meat can be frozen or ground and be made to last a bit longer.

Answer 8

If you hadn't said London, I might have guessed Tokyo.

I don't find the same to be generally true in the US. Exceptions occur in some seasonals, some exotics, and in cases where demand outstrips supply. Also, greater distance from break-in-bulk points (major distribution centers) may amplify cost. Of course, commodities fluctuate, and a bad season will result in higher costs.

Here's a few prices from my last few shopping trips.

These are supermart/supermarket prices, not stands or stalls where prices are typically lower. I used two major markets, one tends to average ten to fifteen percent higher but usually has nicer produce and a wider offering.

All prices non-sale, avg daily price.

Veggies (non-organic)
Potatoes: (Idaho, Russet, Red Bliss, White, Yellow)
avg $0.89 to $0.99 per pound.
Carrots: $0.70 pound.
Baby spinach (picked/cellopack): ~ $2.89 lb.
Spinach (loose/bulk) ~ $0.89lb.
Tomatoes (wide range of types) ~ from $1.50 to >$3 lb.
Celery (whole bunch) ~ $1.89
Bell peppers (green): these have were more expensive due to previous bad season (frosts, storms) but are coming down. From $0.75 apiece up to $1.50.
Broccoli (whole or bundled heads) ~ $1.79.
Mushrooms, white: ~$2.00 lb.

Now, meats: (non-organic)
Cheapest first: (chicken w/ bone and skin)
Chicken, fryer, whole: $0.69 to $1.49 lb.
Chicken, fryer, whole, cut-up: $0.99 to $2.19 lb.
Chicken thighs: $1.99 to $2.50
Chicken breasts (whole, bone-in, w/skin): $2.90 - $4.00 lb
Chicken breasts (boneles, skinless filets) $4 - $6.00+ lb.
Ground beef (70:30) >$2.50 to $3.50 lb.
Ground beef (80:20) >$3.00 to $3.90 lb
Ground beef (93:7)(extra lean) > $3.80 lb.
Chuck/shoulder roasts >$3.50 lb
Top Sirloin, Bottom Round, etc ~$4.25 to $5.00+ lb
Ribeye steak/chop ~ $12+ lb, ditto NY Strip/sirloin; Porterhouuse, T-Bone. That's for lowest grade offered.
Higher grade, i.e. "Angus" -- add $2-$4 or more per lb.
Beef Tenderloin (filets/steaks/chops) >$14 -- $18 lb
" " (whole, untrimmed) > $9.00 lb
Pork loin, whole: $4 - $6 lb
Pork Chops (w/bone, end cuts) >$3.90 lb
Pork Chops (center, boneless) > $5.00 lb
Pork tenderloin: >$9 lb
Seafood (fish) runs close to steak/chop costs per lb.
Shellfish (forget about it)
PS I never buy seafood in grocery chain stores.

Tofu: ~ $2lb, less at the Asian markets (and fresher).

The thing I find distressing is how prices have been rising at alarming rates overall and even after a seasonal adjustment, most store chains are not reflecting that in reduced costs -- read as, once the price goes up, it stays up, and the only price change is upwards.

I find more and more I simply have to go without some things that a few years back I considered staple, basic items. For example, I refuse to pay $1.50 (or more) for a single green bell pepper. I sometimes resort to frozen veggies over fresh due to pricing, in cases where it used to be that fresher were cheaper!!!

Answer 9

Your friend buys their fruit and veg from a supermarket? Not the way to go! Fruit and veg are NEVER cheap in supermarkets. Always buy these items from a stall in a street market.

Answer 10

Well.....I guess vegetables have gone up in price in the last 10-20 years. If you think about how they are grown, it makes sense.

There are some veg that are still quite cheap - carrots, cabbage....and non-organic cheaper than organic.

Could your girlfriend grow her own?