Disease and US Drought Leads to Soaring Beef, Pork and Fish Prices

Prices for meat and seafood are set to rise, after stocks were hit by drought and disease.

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) said prices for wholesale pork are set to skyrocket this year by up to 11% after a virus swept through the country's piglet population.

And beef is said to rise by up to 9%, leaving meat-loving Americans seriously out of pocket.

Earlier this year, European nations considered slapping a ban on the import of all pork-based products, pigs and pig sperm from the US, Canada, Mexico and Japan over fears the Porcine Epidemic Diarrhoea Virus (PEDv) would spread to local stocks.

It's estimated the disease is killing up to 100,000 piglets and young hogs each week in the US, with more than 8 million having died to date.

Seafood prices, meanwhile, are set to rise by up to 4.5% because of "exceptional drought" in parts of the South and California, while fruit and vegetable prices have also increased.

The USDA said in a statement: "The ongoing drought in California could potentially have large and lasting effects on fruit, vegetable, dairy and egg prices, and drought conditions in Texas and Oklahoma could drive beef prices up even further."

Overall food prices will rise by up to 3.5% in the US this year, meaning the poorest people could be set to suffer most.

The news is slightly tempered by the USDA's prediction that food inflation will subside by up to 3% in 2015. However, given the fickle nature of food security and its correlation with weather conditions and the health of livestock, the figures are to be considered preliminary.