(RALEIGH) -- Food prices are heading up and that could benefit North Carolina's peanut farmers. Bob Sutter with the North Carolina Peanut Growers association said this has been seen before.

"When we saw the last surge it was because of hard economic times and this surge maybe not be extremely hard times but it will be because of the increase in what we think is going to be meat prices, all meat prices," said Sutter.

He pointed out that Peanuts, and peanut butter, provide a good, cost effective source of protein.