AYDEN, N.C. (WITN) – Shoppers heading to the grocery store may notice rising meat prices.
Local butchers and barbecue restaurants in Ayden say the increases aren’t just showing up at the register. They’re also showing up in small businesses that rely on regular deliveries and a steady supply.
With gas prices reaching $4 a gallon, businesses say higher fuel costs are driving up delivery charges and, ultimately, the cost of meat products.
Owners and managers in Ayden also point to uncertainty tied to the war in Iran affecting oil supply as another factor rippling through the supply chain.
“We definitely feel prices have played a factor in everything,” said Will Stafford, manager at Skylight Inn BBQ. “Our fuel charges have gone up on delivery, which ultimately makes the cost of pigs and all meat products and everything go up.”
At Sumrell’s Country Sausage, employee Bridget Mejia said the shop’s delivery costs have climbed nearly 50% in recent months.
“What was $5 a delivery is now $10 a delivery. Three times, four times a week, that adds up. So I’d like to say, ‘Hey, we can eat that,’ but in real life, we can’t eat that,” Mejia said.
Mejia said the higher overhead has forced her to raise prices on products she has sold for nearly 28 years, a change she said customers are already reacting to.
“It’s one of those situations where people say, ‘I want this, but I can’t afford this,’ so they put it back and find something cheaper,” she said.
Restaurants are also watching the broader livestock market.
Stafford said cattle prices have increased dramatically in the past year, adding uncertainty for businesses that plan menus and pricing months in advance.
“If you’re spending $2,000 on a baby cow, there’s no telling what’s in the next year,” Stafford said. “It’s gonna keep going up. Who knows what it will be?”
Despite rising costs, both businesses said they’re trying to limit how much they pass on to customers.
“We’re trying to eat the cost as much as we can and go as long as we can that way,” Stafford said.
“We try to keep our prices down. We don’t try to gouge people. It’s where it comes down to the bottom line,” Mejia said.
Business owners said that with the costs of cattle, feed, and fuel still climbing, they are unsure when prices will start to go down.
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