Central Florida farmers’ fertilizer, fuel and feed costs soar, just like grocery prices

The price of corn to feed the thousands of chickens at Dale Volkert’s Lake Meadow Naturals in Ocoee, Florida, has doubled from $4 or $4.50 a bushel a year ago to $8 or $9 in May. That’s just one of the expenses, along with higher fuel prices and other production needs, that are squeezing Central Florida farmers at the same time customers suffer sticker shock at the grocery store. Farmers say they aren’t pocketing higher profits despite the rising prices in the store aisles. “The problem is everything goes on a truck somewhere, whether it’s grain or plastic coming to Florida or egg cartons,” sa…

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