Are you trying to bake some cookies in 2025? Well, you’re going to be spending a lot of money, because grocery prices have skyrocketed.
An example of this that has been getting a lot of press lately is eggs. At my local grocery store, the price of a dozen eggs has steeply risen to $7.23. While cost is a huge issue, another issue is the fact that you may not be able to get eggs. Many places are in short supply, and have even limited the amount of eggs customers can buy. A big driver in egg prices and supply is the meteoric spread of Avian Flu (Bird Flu) among populations of birds on farms, often made worse by industrial farming methods and how close every bird is to each other. It should also be noted that data on the spread of Avian Flu in farms may be difficult to find, as the National Institute of Health has halted all communications by the order of the Trump Administration.
Another product that I noticed has become more expensive is oranges and orange juice. The cheapest gallon of orange juice I could find came with the hefty price tag of $10.79. A driver of these price increases is the poor citrus harvest in areas such as Florida, due to abnormally-low temperatures (as seen by the recent snowfall in the normally-warm state). Much of these temperature fluctuations can be attributed to climate change. As Arctic Sea ice melts (due to human-produced emissions), it may elongate the shape of the polar vortex, causing a southward-shifted jet stream that will make the Southern United States colder.
To my chagrin, I also noticed that coffee is becoming more expensive as well. A 12 ounce bag of medium roast ground coffee is now $10.59. The rise in coffee prices can be attributed to low supply. Consumption of coffee continues to go up, but a string of events (such as Droughts in South America and excess rainfall and heat in Asia) have caused a shortage. Coffee prices are expected to go up even more, with threats of tariffs against coffee producing nations such as Colombia.
Lower Dauphin students think that the rise in prices is detrimental. “I was just reading about the prices and how they’re affecting small baked goods businesses but also everyday items like eggs,” says senior Lauryn Parcon. “They are so prevalent in an ordinary person’s life that it’s hard to ignore how expensive they are getting.” Senior Jasmine Prieto agrees, stating “It’s a really worrisome issue, and something that needs to be addressed immediately.”
Groceries are already expensive, and are only expected to go up in price. Along with groceries, products such as smartphones, computers, cars, and more are also expected to experience a steep rise.
