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With most Texans keeping a close eye on spending during tight economic times, the state’s largest farm organization has launched a program to monitor the cost of common grocery store items found in the Lone Star State.

“This is an exciting program for our organization,” saysAdrian Schulze, Blanco County Farm Bureau S & T. “Although a similar survey is conducted nationally by the American Farm Bureau Federation, those prices often don’t accurately reflect our Texas store shelf prices.”

The Texas Farm Bureau Grocery Price Watch has completed two of four statewide surveys of grocery shelves scheduled this year. Twenty-six volunteer shoppers from each of Texas Farm Bureau’s 13 state districts took part in the informal survey of 16 shopping cart staples.

By and large, Texan food dollars often go much farther than similar items purchased in, say, California or New York, Schulze noted.

“By monitoring Texas prices only, we have a much clearer view of the food price picture here in the Lone Star State,” Schulze said. “And you can compare statewide grocery prices with prices at the local supermarket.”

For the latest survey follow this web link: http://www.txfb.org/newsmanager/templates/TXFBTemplate .aspx?articleid=4829&zoneid=5