CANADA — Food prices in April of this year were up 9.7% over April 2021, according to Statistics Canada, the largest year-over-year increase for store-bought groceries since September 1981. The historic rise also marked the fifth month in a row that food purchased from stores has gone up by 5% or higher.
Consumers paid more for nearly everything at the grocery store in April 2022, the agency reports. Fresh fruit was up 10%, fresh vegetables 8.2% and meat 10.1% over a year earlier. A cup of coffee also cost 13.7% more than in April 2021.
StatCan blames global events for the pain at the checkout counter, including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in late February, poor weather in some growing regions, and higher fuel and fertilizer prices contributing to increased crop input costs on the farm.
