While most floodwaters are going down, concern over food prices is going up for people like Blue Star Brewing Company owner Joey Villarreal. He says any increase in the cost of ingredients would not be welcome news for his business.
“My chef hasn’t told me anything, but he keeps an eye on things when we have to go up or do something,” said Joey Villarreal, owner of Blue Star Brewing Company.
Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller has issued a declaration of emergency for South Texas farmers and ranchers because of the floods.
“We will have some loss of livestock. Hopefully the numbers will be low, but we will have some livestock to report,” said Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller.
On top of that, Miller says land used for grazing was hit the hardest. But as of now, he says since many stores buy from farms all over the country and Mexico, local flood damage should not raise prices for consumers.
“I don’t see the prices at the grocery store being reflected in the flood damage. I really don’t,” said Miller.
But while people wait to see what happens, Villarreal and produce sellers say they are already dealing with price increases because of factors like inflation.
“Just in general, everything is expensive. People right now are looking at their pocketbooks for sure,” said Villarreal.
The Texas Department of Agriculture also has the STAR Fund, which it will use to provide grants for farmers whose infrastructure was damaged by the flooding.