“At the retail level, it has a dramatic effect on what people actually pay,” Lococo said. “Supply and demand don’t match up the way they have in the past.”

When red meat prices are higher, he said, people turn to chicken, veal or pork so the demand for those products goes up, too. Dairy products’ price increases are part of the trickle down effect.

Lococo said consumers likely won’t feel the impact until four or five months down the road.

The U. S. Department of Agriculture estimates the price of all food will rise 3 to 4% by 2013. Beef and veal is estimated to jump 4 to 5%, eggs 3 to 4% and other dairy 3.5 to 4.5%

While produce isn’t expected to be impacted by the drought, it has had its own problems this year.

Ontario has lost 85% of its apple crop because of the unseasonably warm temperatures in March that caused trees to come out of dormancy, only to be hit with belowfreezing temperatures.

Ontario Apple Growers chair Brian Gilroy said there will be a significant shortage of some varieties of apples and they will cost a lot more, too.

Of the surviving 15% apple crop, a significant portion won’t be able to meet the fresh quality standards because of misshapes or frost marks. Gilroy estimated they’ll be well under 10% of normal volume of fresh apples for consumers.

Ontario has enough apples to supply the market beginning in mid-September but Gilroy is doubtful they will make it to Christmas. “This year, they’re going to have to pay a little bit more, but we’re certainly hopeful they’ll continue to support what is grown here in Ontario before it’s gone,” Gilroy said.

“But we’ll be back a year from now, hopefully with a full crop, and those prices will tend to back down again once the supply reaches the historic average.”

Kevin Baum, a buyer for Harvest Barn, said the crippling of the apple industry will be an issue in the fall.

But other types of produce prices haven’t changed or have actually come down quicker. Produce is coming onto market earlier than usual and it’s coming on all at once, he said. “All the product we do have locally, from lettuces to corn, cantaloupes, tomatoes, there’s a hoard of it in Ontario which keeps the price low.”

But Phil Tregunno, chair of the Ontario Tender Fruit Producers Marketing Board, said consumers are seeing some higher prices to compensate for smaller crops of plums and cherries after the spring frost.

Farmers aren’t seeing the benefit of those higher prices, because of the lower volumes. Peaches are doing well, though, and got through the frost better than some other crops, said Tregunno, adding they have about 70% of the normal volume.