"Meaty times - prices rise for pork and chicken"

Like everything else (apart from petrol), food products have been facing price hikes that are causing housewives to weep.

Bread, flour, cheese and butter have been the target of price inflation but nowhousehold shoppers will be paying more for their poultry and port as well.. According to a survey conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, chicken thighs have risen by ￥1 since last week and has reached the ￥130 mark for the first time since the survey began in 2003. Also, pork prices have risen, with 100 grams of pork loin costing ￥252, the highest price for that product to date.

The high cost of grain is seen as one of the reasons for meat inflation, however, another more surprising reason is the gyoza issue. Because of the food scares, more and more people are cooking from scratch at home, rather than buying cheap Chinese imported frozen products, which has lead to a soaring demand for meat and therefore inflated prices…Well, that is at least what ANN news reported this morning—it is unclear whether this is a factual piece or reporting or just an “educated” guess.