WASHINGTON — The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) recently shared the results of its latest marketbasket survey, which showed the average cost of a summer cookout has increased since a year ago. The organization said a group of 10 US consumers will pay an average of $69.68 for popular Independence Day food items, up 17% from 2021.

According to the survey, the largest jump in pricing was for ground beef, up 36%. 

The US Department of Agriculture’s Producer Price Index indicated that farm-level cattle prices are up 17.5%, while wholesale beef prices are down 14%, AFBF said.

“Despite higher food prices, the supply chain disruptions and inflation have made farm supplies more expensive; like consumers, farmers are price-takers not price-makers,” said Roger Cryan, AFBF chief economist. “Bottom line, in many cases the higher prices farmers are being paid aren’t covering the increase in their farm expenses. The cost of fuel is up, and fertilizer prices have tripled.”

He added, “According to the Agriculture Department’s revised Food Dollar Series, farmers currently receive approximately 8% of every food marketing dollar. The farmers’ share of the retail food dollar is as low as 2% to 4% for highly processed foods such as bread and cereal and can be 35% or more for some fresh products.”

Besides beef, other items that have experienced price increases include chicken breasts, pork chops, hamburger buns, lemonade, potato salad and cookies. Meanwhile, the price of strawberries, sliced cheese and potato chips has dropped.

“The increased cost of food and supplies is a very real concern in our country and across the globe,” said Zippy Duvall, AFBF president. “US food assistance programs and food banks help those who struggle to make ends meet here at home, but the story is much different around the globe as food insecurity skyrockets. The big impact of a single event in Ukraine shows how dependent the world is on stable, productive agriculture.”

AFBF provided the following list as a summary of individual food prices and cost differences compared to the previous year:

  • 2 lbs of ground beef, $11.12 (+36%)
  • 2 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, $8.99 (+33%)
  • 32 ozs of pork & beans, $2.53 (+33%)
  • 3 lbs of center cut pork chops, $15.26 (+31%)
  • 2.5 quarts of fresh-squeezed lemonade, $4.43 (+22%)
  • 2.5 lbs of homemade potato salad, $3.27 (+19%)
  • 8 hamburger buns, $1.93 (+16%)
  • Half-gallon of vanilla ice cream, $5.16 (+10%)
  • 13-oz bag of chocolate chip cookies, $4.31 (+7%)
  • 2 pints of strawberries, $4.44 (-16%)
  • 1 lb of sliced cheese, $3.53 (-13%)
  • 16-oz bag of potato chips, $4.71 (-4%)

The AFBF 2022 Summer Cookout survey represents one in a series of marketbasket surveys, which includes the annual Thanksgiving Dinner Cost Survey of common food items Americans use in meals.