Northern stores feel impact of declining demand for red meat
Brent Battistelli, who runs the grocery store in the Greater Sudbury community of Lively, said it has been a challenge to continue operating during the pandemic and has noticed a decline in red meat sales.
Battistelli said his store is responding by offering smaller packages and deals wherever possible.
"What we’re seeing from a consumer base is just really watching flyers, looking for value, specials and switching to different cuts," he said.
"So the chicken category is certainly one that’s less expensive so people are turning to those types of deals."
This isn't just a northern Ontario issue. A new study by Farm Credit Canada found the consumption and sale of red meat are down across Canada. Using data from Statistics Canada, the report said demand for beef began declining steadily after it peaked in late 2020.
"With the lockdowns or disruption in service, I think people are really protective of their income as they have it now and then of course food price inflation," said Janet Music, Dalhousie University food industry researcher.
"We’ve been talking about it for months but really our cost of living increases to our salaries just hasn’t kept pace with the price of food in general, so we’re losing ground and it’s making people nervous and so they’re decreasing those big-ticket items at the grocery market."
Music said while COVID-19 is to blame for a large part of the higher prices, she said the bigger problem is climate change.
"As we start experiencing that adverse weather in places where we grow our food, like B.C. and drought in the Prairies, that’s going to impact the supply of our food," she said.
"We’re going to have a really serious conversation about how we mitigate some of those challenges."
Music said consumers can have an impact on the environment and their wallets simply by watching their food waste. She also said people should buy only what they need, but to look for sales and use them to stock the freezer.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
LeBlanc says he plans to run in next election, under Trudeau's leadership
Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to run in the next election as a candidate under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's leadership, amid questions about his rumoured interest in succeeding his longtime friend for the top job.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn’t over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball’s highest scorer Caitlin Clark’s first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
U.S. vetoes a widely supported UN resolution backing full membership for Palestine
The United States has vetoed a widely backed UN resolution that would have paved the way for full United Nations membership for the state of Palestine.
Grandparent scam suspects had ties to Italian organized crime, police allege
A group of suspects that allegedly defrauded seniors across Ontario and other parts of Canada using a so-called emergency grandparent scam appear to have ties to 'Italian traditional organized crime,' according to an investigator involved in the OPP-led probe.
Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
Cat found on Toronto Pearson airport runway 3 days after going missing
Kevin the cat has been reunited with his family after enduring a harrowing three-day ordeal while lost at Toronto Pearson International Airport earlier this week.
N.L. gardening store revives 19th century seed-packing machine
Technology from the 19th century has been brought out of retirement at a Newfoundland gardening store, as staff look for all the help they can get to fill orders during a busy season.