We needed something to lighten the mood from yesterday's more serious tone, and we have it in the form of recent news regarding a crisis in the food industry. The globe is about to experience a major shortage in supply of an "essential" food group, and while I do make light of it myself there are people already having panic attacks over this predicted shortage!
I am of course referring to the upcoming world shortage of that most precious of foodstuffs: bacon! The British National Pig Association has stated that the growing and harvesting of corn and soy feed has been disastrously affected by a summer of drought that was experienced across much of the globe. This inevitably led to skyrocketing prices of hogfeed and as a result many herds have been thinned to cut costs, which will impact the marketplace in 2013.
The outcome will likely be a shortage of bacon and pork products generally, but with bacon seemingly causing the most concern for most people. Of course there are those who have said on camera that it will have no effect on their daily lives whatsoever, while many others state that they are in a panic, but will still buy bacon (but less of it) even if the price is higher. It probably depends on how much of an addict you are, I suppose!
The effect is likely to be more dramatic in Europe where experts predict that by the end of 2013, the price of bacon may very well double. The USDA predicts a more mild "crisis" in North America, where we may not even experience a true shortage, but where we will notice a probably modest price increase. But you know how it goes: all it takes is a concern over oil, and gas prices rise immediately; if the price of oil jumps, then gas prices can skyrocket. Ditto, bacon!
Thus I feel it is quite likely that we will all feel the pain of the pork, in a manner reminiscent of the pain at the pump! It never seems to take much of an excuse to transfer costs onto the consumer when times are hard. What's the best thing to do? Well, for those bacon lovers and addicts who simply do not want to or cannot live without that juicy, tasty treat, it's time to make some extra space in the freezer! Who needs frozen veg or ice cream, when bacon is about to go black market?!
My local grocery store is offering 500g packs on special at an amazing $2.99 for the next week, so perhaps it's time to lay down some solid stocks?! Can we expect all of this to precipitate a new phenomenon that will become known as "the bacon wars", as shoppers fill their carts with kilograms of prime bacon, and then racing to the checkout with people chasing them, fighting over their haul?! Restaurants are surely going to try to stockpile hundreds of kilograms of the precious cargo.
"Is Loblaws now selling the new iPhone? What are those long lines for? Oh, it's the line for the new release of synthetic streaky bacon, they've been camping out for days to be first to get it!"
It sure is going to bring a whole new meaning to the bringing home of the bacon! ;) Kevin Mc
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