Calgary baker laments butter price increase

The Canadian Dairy Commission is churning out yet another price increase, this time to butter and skim milk powder. It's the second price hike this year and one Calgary bakery is finding it hard to stomach.

Carolyne McIntyre-Jackson, who owns Crave Cupcakes, says each of her six stores buys about 400 pounds of butter every week.

"We use real ingredients, we use milk and we use eggs and we use butter," McIntyre-Jackson tells CBC News.

• Halifax bakery braces for impending hike in butter prices
• TPP could harm Canada's dairy more than expected, expert says

"It's like, the number one ingredient."

And that number one ingredient is about to cost a little more.

The commission is hiking the price of butter by nearly three per cent come September.

Albert Kamps, who heads Alberta Milk, says many are looking forward to the increase.

"Most of our producers are glad to see a price increase as we see feed costs continue to go up and utilities and all of our expenses do go up," Kamps said.

• Butter shortage in Canada due to consumer shift from margarine, says group
• Milk prices to increase 4 cents per litre on Feb. 1

Not everyone agrees.

"Everything is just going to start increasing, increasing, increasing," McIntyre-Jackson said.

She says for her, it's not just the butter. Sugar recently went up and the provincial minimum wage is next.

McIntyre-Jackson wonders what she'll have to cut.

"We have this beautiful package," she said, describing a bow she uses to decorate a tray of cupcakes.

"And I don't want to get rid of the ribbon maybe skipping the ribbon versus increasing your prices might be a better decision," McIntyre-Jackson said.

• MORE ALBERTA NEWS |Man charged in death of Lethbridge baby boy
• MORE ALBERTA NEWS |Bear closures expand near Canmore