Retail food prices continue to push higher, making 4th of July cookouts a little more costly.
American Farm Bureau economist Veronica Nigh says the average cost for 10 people is up 17% to $69.68. She tells Brownfield proteins saw the biggest jump in prices. “Two pounds of ground beef for burgers was up 36%, two pounds of boneless skinless chicken breast was up 33%, and three pounds of center-cut pork chops were up 31%,” she says.
But, Nigh says not everything was more expensive this year. “Two pints of strawberries were down 16% compared to last year,” she says. “That might be a little surprising, but I think it’s important to remember that last year prices were pretty high because of the drought conditions were impacting large swaths of strawberry production regions.”
And if you’re wondering what the farmers’ share of that purchase is? It’s about 8%, or $5.60.
