Pickle Index

[Greg Nowell]

I posted some time ago about the rising cost of hot dog
relish (sans mustard), which had gone up from $1.09 to
$1.24 or thereabouts.

I see now that it is at 99 cents.

Pickle-input dependent products are closely watched in
commodity markets.  Relish sales accurately forecast
trends in pork and hamburger consumption.  This in turn
impacts feed sales and fertilizer sales.  Pickle
harvesting has major secondary invovlement of both
agricultural equipment and trucking.  The jars impact
the ceramic industry.

The decline in relish sales is indicative of continued
weak demand worldwide and suggests that there will not
be enough aggregate demand to sustain economic growth
in the medium to long term.

--
Gregory P. Nowell
Associate Professor
Department of Political Science, Milne 100
State University of New York
135 Western Ave.
Albany, New York 12222

Fax 518-442-5298