Nationwide Drought Affecting Food Prices In Oklahoma

Darren Brown, News 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Oklahoma crops took a beating this year, but it's a crop grown largely in other states that's now impacting grocery prices here.

This year's drought caused the nation's corn crop to suffer although the demand hasn't changed.  Corn and corn by-products are in demand year-round.

Howard Rollins, produce manager at Crest Foods in Edmond, has had to stay on his toes to keep up with the store's needs.

"It's been quite difficult sometimes to get corn in," Rollins said. "Because of the uses of bio fuel and etcetera, corn is pretty scarce."

Ears of corn are not the only form that's becoming scarce. Corn as grain is the main ingredient in feed for cattle, poultry, and chicken ranchers.

"That's their primary source of feed," Hays said. "So the producers of those animals are the most directly impacted when prices are high."

Hays said that there's just no way for ranchers to get around their need for animal feed.

"They have to pay those higher prices,"Hays said.  "And as a result, the meat that they're producing is gonna be more expensive at the grocery store." 

"I recall back maybe four or five years ago when you could get corn six, seven for a dollar,"Rollins said.  "Now, those days are pretty much over."