(File Photo/paNOW Staff)

By Jaryn Vecchio

Food Prices

P.A. Food Bank anticipating rise in clients as food prices expected to increase

Dec 9, 2021 | 5:00 PM

The Prince Albert Food Bank is anticipating a big rise in people needing their help.

The Canada’s Food Price annual report released on Thursday forecasted costs to increase by as much as seven per cent, the highest-predicted increase in food prices since the inception of the report 12 years ago.

The most significant increases are expected in dairy, bakery and fresh vegetables.

Kim Scruby, Executive Director of the P.A. Food Bank, told paNOW this is bad for them as they still need to pay for their food and there’s the high possibility more people will be looking to get food hampers.

He told paNOW this isn’t for sure, though it’s a strong possibility.

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“I would expect it would only get worse just given the rising cost of food.”

Scruby believes there’s a chance they could be handing out around 20 per cent more food hampers.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, they would hand out around 1,100 hampers a month which supported around 3,300 people. Over the past year and a half, monthly hamper numbers have gone up and down, coinciding with supports from the federal and provincial governments.

Scruby noted food prices aren’t the only thing contributing to this.

“Heating costs are going up, gas is going up, it’s just inflation.”

He hopes he’s wrong, however, it’s more likely they see a rise then they don’t considering the expected increase in costs.

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jaryn.vecchio@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @princealbertnow