Craft Beer Fights Back & Lower Food Prices

Craft Beer Fights Back & Lower Food Prices. I'm Greg Martin with today's Northwest Report.

Despite the outcome of the recent Super Bowl there is still some complaining going on and it involves one of the famous Super Bowl TV commercials. This one from Budweiser called the "Hard Way" took a big poke at the craft brewing industry. Jeff Brown, manager of Triton Print & Pour in Vancouver, Washington

BROWN: I think it would be kind of against their interests especially if they're buying up small brewers. I think what they're doing is trying to prepare themselves for what I think they might find the inevitable. From what I understand is the markets they're buying like Ten Barrel in Portland it may inadvertently affect the market in that they can try to buy a lot of these up and then jack prices perhaps.

According to a new report from Rabo Lgrifinance lower oil prices should bring a welcome relief to high food prices. The price declines of both oil and agri commodities will contribute to lower costs for food production which Rabobank expects will eventually lead to lower consumer food prices. The report points out that where oil and gas prices are linked, industries with high gas consumption, such as horticulture, milk powder, coffee, potato processing and beer production, costs are likely to be lowered and margins improved, at least initially.

That's today's Northwest Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network of the West.