The March consumer price stats came out from the Labor Department, showing a slight (0.1 percent) decrease from February's levels. Overall prices have been flat-lining or declining since last fall, when the bottom fell out of the economy. Much of the decline has been driven by energy, which we all know about.
But food prices have also started falling, as can be seen in numerous deals at the grocery store. Overall food prices dipped 0.1 percent in March for the second month in a row. The last time food prices fell in two consecutive months was in 1992, as the economy recovered from a recession.
As with most economic changes, lower food prices are mixed news. They'll help families. But they'll probably mean lower profits for farmers and grocery stores, and falling prices signal economic weakness.
