Where's the bacon? We're going to be asking that question a lot more in the coming year.  

Britain's National Pig Association claims a shortage of bacon, sausage and pork products is unavoidable because of the rising costs of grain, which is a large part of what hogs are fed. In addition to that, pig farmers around the world are selling their herds because retail prices are not rising fast enough to cover the cost of record-high pig-feed costs.

In the United States, the government has introduced a pork-buying program in a bid to keep its pig farmers in business. The Chinese government is putting pork into cold storage, as a buffer against shortages and high prices next year.

The Canadian Pork Council agrees, saying pig heards in North America are shrinking and it will drive up prices for us at the grocery store.

"I think that's hogwash," Rosemary Smart, international marketing programs co-ordinator for the Canadian Swine Exporters Association told QMI Agency. "In Canada it's not an issue at all. We export a lot more meat than we can consume. If our consumer wants to eat pork we have a supply in Canada."

One Iowa-based agricultural economist Steve Meyer says he expects to see record prices for pork next year.  He says high grain prices affect all meat suppliers, meaning beef, chicken and turkey supplies could also be affected.