Farm price increases strain family budgets
The Agriculture Department reports a 2 percent rise in raw farm product prices from April 15 to May 15, the sixth straight monthly gain, with meat prices up 6 percent in the Meat Animal Price Index. Cattle average $36.10 per cwt and hogs $40.70, food costs expected to rise about 6 percent this year, driven partly by nonfarm items like coffee and seafood.