One tends to get used to inflation. Either prices go higher or shrinkflation occurs (products / services get smaller). But this morning I was truly startled.
Honeybell Oranges at the Naples farmers market have been selling for $1 each. They are the best-tasting oranges I have ever enjoyed. I intended to buy four this morning when a new sign greeted me......
Honeywell Oranges $2 each!
I asked the vendor "were the oranges not $1 each last week".
He replied, "you are correct. The owner of the stand wanted to charge $1.50 per orange a few weeks ago, but his sales staff wanted no part in making change. So instead, today the owner of the stand upped the price to $2."
I was not the only customer to remark on the change. As a consequence, the green basket was going to return to the depot full of beautiful Honeywell oranges.
I saw two options not to participate in the inflation game. Buy a cheaper orange for $1 each ( I bought four).
or
Grow your own oranges
Flowers, which will turn into buds, starting to appear on my two-year old tree. My oranges should be in full ripeness by the fall. I might sell some to my neighbours for $1.
regards, Tim
Good luck with your orange business, Tim - it sounds like a lot of opportunities for growth!
It's interesting to note how a dollar has been devalued. "A buck, two bucks: nobody will notice the difference," the suppliers say.
Except that an extra buck here and an extra buck there is adding up to a lot of extra bucks.
The inflation mentality needs a reset. Everyone should follow your example and buck the trend!
Let's look at some stats to see if we can solve this mystery of exploding orange prices...
https://www.indexmundi.com/agricultural-prices/product/oranges
A wholesale 4/5 bushel of oranges containing 56-80 oranges is $30 or roughly $.50 per orange
https://www.freshfruitportal.com/news/2024/01/15/florida-orange-crop-to-rise-30-year-on-year/
So much for the supply/demand myth I learned when I wasted 4 years of my life to get an economics degree.
And finally, did the guy that picked that orange get his pay doubled??
Maybe the orange vendor simply needed some extra income to cover the renewal of his home insurance policy.