As Super Bowl XLVII fast approaches, crisis looms over football fans. In a recent article in USA TODAY, reporter Oliver St. John announced the ever-popular Super Bowl party snack, the buffalo wing, has increased its prices due to the hard drought farmers experienced this past summer.
According to the National Chicken Council (first of all, who knew there was such a thing?), the amount of wings to be sold for the Super Bowl has decreased by 12.3 million. That, is a lot of buffalo wings.
The drought caused problems for the buffalo wing because it forced farmers to reduce their chicken stock because of the increased prices in chicken feed. Being from Wisconsin, I can relate to the fact that many crops suffered in the drought. Farmers were forced to sell their crops and produce for more, which made the grocery stores and restaurants charge customers more to make that profit.
With the decrease in the number of chicken comes the increase in prices of wings sold in restaurants, grocery stores, and even McDonald's. Restaurants are wary to increase prices, but have chosen to do so anyway in order to keep their businesses alive. For example, Anchor Bar, the "original" birthplace of the buffalo wing in Buffalo, NY chose to increase overall menu prices to encompass the rising chicken prices so their famous item could remain at the standard price.
Like many aspects of the economy, cause and demand is relevant for agriculture. As prices of items go up, we try to buy less or fork over that extra amount of money. Buffalo wings are not the first food to take an economic hit.
However, other restaurants are offering up alternatives to the tasty Super Bowl snack with sliders, boneless wings, and a plethora of dips.
In my own opinion, there is nothing quite like the sticky barbecue fingers being thrown in the air upon your team's touchdown. Sliders require concentration, chicken nuggets just aren't the same; wings require just as much stamina and endurance as the football game on TV (okay, that's an exaggeration, but you get the idea).
I say, go out and buy those wings, no matter the price. If Super Bowl ads cost about $3.7 million per 30 seconds during this time of the year, I don't think $2.00 wings will break the bank. As economists all over predict a moderate growth for 2013, I think we can all breathe a little easier for next year's Super Bowl snack.
(Oh and go 49ers!)
Katie Ackell
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