[ceejayoz]

The first line of the article is "Since 2020, Americans have experienced rising food prices". The pandemic's effects largely started in March 2020. "Now" is scoped to "that last couple of years", not "last week".

[AnimalMuppet]

Well, OK, didn't that cartel exist in 2018? 2010? 2000? Why now (for values of "now" that include 2020)?

The cartel explanation, by itself, still doesn't fit the timing.

[ceejayoz]

Again, the cartel(s) existed (and they've long been accused of price fixing of various kinds; BigAg price fixing fines are not new; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lysine_price-fixing_conspiracy as an example). The handy "it's the pandemic's fault prices are going up everywhere" excuse to get away with big price hikes was new.

[HDThoreaun]

They didn't need excuses to raise prices, this explanation still doesn't explain why they waited. Cartel's don't care what their consumers think since they've cornered the market on an inelastic product.

[ceejayoz]

> Cartel's don't care what their consumers think since they've cornered the market on an inelastic product.

They do care about attracting the ire of regulators, which can be triggered by consumers getting fed up with price increases.

[prepend]

So what about regulators is different now than 10 years ago or 20? It seems like the same crappy level of price regulation now as 40 years ago.

[HDThoreaun]

Regulators are toothless in this country. I'm not buying the "scared of regulation" angle.