Drought Impact Could Be 'Far-reaching' - Beckley, Bluefield & Lewisburg News, Weather, Sports

Drought Impact Could Be 'Far-reaching'

Posted: Updated:

According to a report released Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the country is in the midst of the worst drought in decades.

While farmers were hit hard in July, Keith Crook, co-owner of Crook's Brothers in Beckley, expects to see a spike in supermarket prices across Southern West Virginia within months. 

"There's no doubt there's going to be a negative impact. Sometimes you don't see those prices being affected for months, and sometimes a year later because a lot of the products are frozen or they're putting canned goods out. The prices are going to be more evident six or eight months later," said Crook.

The big thing experts will be watching for is the availability of corn. If the price of the crop increases by more than 50 percent, consumers could see a 1 percent price rise on supermarket products across the board by 2013.