Retail Food Prices Lower for This Year Compared to 2015 Prices

For the first time in almost five decades average grocery store food prices this year will be lower than the year before. USDA food price analyst Annemarie Kuhns shares some of the reasons for this

Khuns: "Lower oil and energy prices which decrease the cost for transportation and even food processing and then we've seen a strong U.S. dollar."

So that means imports are less expensive for us to purchase. Also record large crops and livestock production added to this set of circumstances.

So what does the new year, hold when it comes to retail food prices? Annemarie Kuhns, USDA food price analyst,

Khuns: "We're now expecting to pay .5 to 1.5 percent more for groceries in 2017 than we did in 2016."

She continues by listing some of the foods that may cost us less in 2017.

Kuhns: "We're expecting beef and veal to decrease 1 to 2 percent. Pork we're expecting to decrease 0 to 1 percent decrease, previously we had been predicting a 0 to1 percent increase. We're expecting eggs to decrease an additional 11 to 12 percent in 2017. Fats and oils we're now expecting to decrease 2.5 to 3.5 percent in 2017, previously we're predicting a 0 to 1 percent decrease. Looking at fresh vegetables, we are now expecting them to decrease 2 to 3 percent."