AYDEN, N.C. (WITN) – Shoppers heading to the grocery store may notice rising meat prices.<\/p>\n
Local butchers and barbecue restaurants in Ayden say the increases aren\u2019t just showing up at the register. They\u2019re also showing up in small businesses that rely on regular deliveries and a steady supply.<\/p>\n
With gas prices reaching $4 a gallon, businesses say higher fuel costs are driving up delivery charges and, ultimately, the cost of meat products. <\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe definitely feel prices have played a factor in everything,\u201d said Will Stafford, manager at Skylight Inn BBQ. \u201cOur fuel charges have gone up on delivery, which ultimately makes the cost of pigs and all meat products and everything go up.\u201d<\/p>\n
At Sumrell\u2019s Country Sausage, employee Bridget Mejia said the shop\u2019s delivery costs have climbed nearly 50% in recent months.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat was $5 a delivery is now $10 a delivery. Three times, four times a week, that adds up. So I\u2019d like to say, \u2018Hey, we can eat that,\u2019 but in real life, we can\u2019t eat that,\u201d Mejia said.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s one of those situations where people say, \u2018I want this, but I can\u2019t afford this,\u2019 so they put it back and find something cheaper,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Restaurants are also watching the broader livestock market.<\/p>\n
Stafford said cattle prices have increased dramatically in the past year, adding uncertainty for businesses that plan menus and pricing months in advance.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you\u2019re spending $2,000 on a baby cow, there\u2019s no telling what\u2019s in the next year,\u201d Stafford said. \u201cIt\u2019s gonna keep going up. Who knows what it will be?\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite rising costs, both businesses said they\u2019re trying to limit how much they pass on to customers.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re trying to eat the cost as much as we can and go as long as we can that way,\u201d Stafford said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe try to keep our prices down. We don\u2019t try to gouge people. It\u2019s where it comes down to the bottom line,\u201d Mejia said.<\/p>\n
Business owners said that with the costs of cattle, feed, and fuel still climbing, they are unsure when prices will start to go down.<\/p>\n
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