U.S. Agriculture Secretary Criticizes Price Exploitation
- Some food increases are firms ‘taking advantage,’ says Vilsack
- Vilsack rejects a Republican call for trade damages from China
Workers sort avocados at a facility in Periban, Michoacan state, Mexico.
Photographer: Jeoffrey Guillemard/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
The U.S. Agriculture Secretary said some recent price increases were the result of businesses “taking advantage” of the coronavirus pandemic and supply-chain disruptions to push up food costs.
Food prices have soared globally in the past year as economies recover from the pandemic and amid a jump in energy and fertilizer costs. Transporters are also struggling to cope with the extra demand for goods, leading to huge delays at ports.