Food prices finally caught up with last years drought. According to the Texas Farm Bureau food prices became noticeably higher in the first quarter of 2013.


The Texas Farm Bureau took sixteen items, such as lettuce, fruit, meat, and milk and found the total price to be nearly five and a half percent higher than the same items in 2012.

According to the Texas Farm Bureau, ground beef is up 10% in one year and sirloin steak is up almost 19%.

The cause? The Bureau says last year's drought.

"We've had to water a lot more to make up the difference and the increase cost of water and fertilizer has driven the prices up on the growing end of growing trees, as well as fruits and vegetables," says Lindale Farmer Bobby Wells.

Wells says his land attracts varmints with the lack of water elsewhere.

"That ranges from snakes to hogs to the small varmints like the raccoons and possums," says Wells.

Wells says with the increase water usage, pest control, and fertilizer he has had no choice but to raise the prices of his fruit. But he remains optimistic for the coming up year.

"Right now the Lord is blessing us with some good rainfall every few days, so it's looking a little different," says Wells.

He is thankful for those customers who continue to buy fruits and vegetables even with the marked up prices.

"When you pay $50 for a bushel of peaches or $60 for a bushel, that's over a dollar a pound. You wouldn't think they would market, but the market is very good for fruits and vegetable and meat even at the higher prices," says Wells.

Wells says one way to cut prices, is to grow the plant or tree in your own yard. That way you are cutting out the middle man, which is a driving force of increase prices.