Price of summer time cookout down barely from 10-year excessive

Celebrating the 4th of July with a cookout will price considerably greater than two years in the past, though costs have fallen barely from file highs in 2022. Households can pay $67.73 to host an Independence Day cookout with 10 relations or pals, based mostly on the 2023 American Farm Bureau Federation marketbasket survey.

The $67.73 grocery invoice is down 3% from 2022, however nonetheless roughly 14% larger than costs had been simply two years in the past. Final 12 months set a file excessive since AFBF started the survey in 2013, and 2023 is available in because the second-highest price. The cookout favorites embody cheeseburgers, hen breasts, pork chops, home made potato salad, strawberries, and ice cream, amongst different merchandise.

“The slight downward course in the price of a cookout doesn’t counter the dramatic will increase we’ve seen over the previous few years. Households are nonetheless feeling the pinch of excessive inflation together with different components conserving costs excessive,” mentioned AFBF Chief Economist Roger Cryan. “Don’t assume farmers come out as winners from larger costs on the grocery retailer both. They’re value takers, not value makers, whose share of the retail meals greenback is simply 14%. Farmers must pay for gasoline, fertilizer and different bills, which have all gone up in price.”

The marketbasket survey reveals a year-to-year enhance in the price of hamburger buns, beef and potato salad, whereas there are drops in the price of hen breasts, lemonade and cookies.

The retail value for a bundle of eight hamburger buns elevated 17% to $2.26. Home made potato salad will price $3.44, up 5% from 2022. The price of 2 kilos of floor beef rose 4% to $11.54.

A number of components affect the will increase. Drought circumstances have elevated the price of feed and lowered the variety of obtainable cattle for the summer time grilling season, driving up beef costs. Greater potato costs might be attributed to poor climate resulting in a drop in manufacturing, and normal inflation is driving up the worth of processed meals like bread.

Our survey discovered one exception to the elevated value of processed meals. A bundle of cookies will price 10% lower than 2022. The worth of hen breasts and eggs, which had reached record-high costs in 2022, are each decrease. That is excellent news because the variety of avian influenza instances has fallen, which has allowed hen populations to get well. Lemonade is 16% cheaper, at $3.73, attributable to a drop in the price of lemons.

Though traditionally excessive, the price of the cookout breaks right down to lower than $7 per particular person. When put in a world context, People spend a smaller share of their earnings on meals than every other nation.

AFBF President Zippy Duvall mentioned, “Whereas the elevated prices are troublesome and have made it more difficult for some households to place meals on the desk, it’s essential to keep in mind that America nonetheless has probably the most reasonably priced meals provides on the planet, which is due partially to robust farm invoice packages. As all of us have a good time the vacation, we encourage members of Congress to think about the contributions of the farm invoice to our safety and independence by guaranteeing a secure and ample meals provide.”

The federal authorities’s broader Client Worth Index report for meals at dwelling reveals an total enhance of 5.8% in comparison with a 12 months in the past. Farm Bureau’s casual marketbasket survey examines solely these meals generally related to summer time cookouts.

The July 4th cookout survey is a part of the Farm Bureau marketbasket sequence, which additionally contains the favored annual Thanksgiving Dinner Price Survey of widespread meals staples People use to arrange meals at dwelling.

Volunteer customers throughout the nation, together with Farm Bureau members and others, collected information from 240 totally different shops in each state and Puerto Rico.

Particular person costs of the AFBF 2023 Summer time Cookout are as follows:

• 2 kilos of floor beef, $11.54 (+4%)
• 2 kilos of hen breasts, $8.14 (-9%)
• 3 kilos of pork chops, $14.37 (-6%)
• 1 pound of cheese, $3.53 (no change)
• 1 bundle of hamburger buns, $2.26 (+17%)
• 2 ½ kilos of home made potato salad, $3.44 (+5%)
• 32 ounces of pork and beans, $2.44 (-3%)
• 16-ounce bag of potato chips, $4.53 (-4%)
• 13-ounce bundle of chocolate chip cookies, $3.90 (-10%)
• ½ gallon of ice cream, $5.29 (+3%)
• 2 pints of strawberries, $4.56 (+3%)
• 2 ½ quarts of lemonade, $3.73 (-16%)