(Clive, Iowa) Demand for bacon has been steadily rising, not just during B-L-T season either. Jerrod Sutter of the Iowa Pork Producers Association says not that long ago, bacon demand was highest in the summer, but lower in the winter months. He says now demand is strong year-round.
He says the food industry has embraced the flavor profile of bacon, and their analysts believe the rising demand is not just a fad.
He says supplies of wholesale pork bellies are tighter these days, and traded at a record high in July.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports pork bellies traded at 31-percent above 2016 levels, and since 2008 prices have almost doubled.
Sutter says bacon prices in grocery stores are up 50-cents since January of this year, but consumers seem willing to pay the extra prices. The USDA backs that up, saying bacon prices have increased 3.4 percent to an average of $5.60 per pound, compared to $5.42 last year, and $3.66 in 2007. The data is based on consumer packages of bacon, and do not include bacon flavorings used as secondary ingredients or in snacks.