The road to recovery was hit today with another toll booth. With "the economy" not doing so hot companies are finding new ways to take advantage of the average consumer.
"Prices for a ton of runner peanuts, commonly used to make peanut butter, hit nearly $1,200 this month, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. That's up from just $450 per ton a year ago. Overall, the USDA projects that American peanut production will hit 3.6 billion pounds this year, down 13% from last year." -CNN Money
So production is only down 13% from last year, but prices have increased 20% to 40% across the board. Companies are not making up for loses, but rather fleecing the average American who has turned to peanut butter in their time of crisis.
References:
Peanut butter prices skyrocketing
http://money.cnn.com/2011/10/31/markets/peanut_butter_prices/index.htm
