Food price report says Canadians will pay more next year

The average Canadian family will pay about $400 more for groceries next year, according to a report by Dalhousie University and the University of Guelph.

Vegetables top the list of increased prices and are expected to jump by four to six per cent.

The report says climate change has caused poor growing conditions, and suggests demand for alternative protein has risen.

Meat and seafood will be the only food categories to see prices drop in 2019. Oversupply and consumption decline are cited as reasons for the decrease.

Dairy and fruit prices will also rise one to three per cent, while families who eat out can expect to pay about $150 more next year.

The universities’ food report comes one day after the Ontario Association of Food Banks released their annual Hunger Report.

It said over 500 thousand people in Ontario used a food bank last year, with senior citizens charting the highest numbers.