(NEXSTAR) – It’s no secret that inflation has been pushing the price of nearly everything up. Unfortunately, those prices likely won’t be cooling off for your July Fourth cookout.
In a recent report, the American Farm Bureau Federation found the average July Fourth cookout (serving 10 people) will cost $69.68, up 17% – or about $10 – compared to last summer. The usual culprits – supply chain disruptions, inflation, and war in Ukraine – are to blame, according to AFBF.
“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,” AFBF Chief Economist Roger Cryan said in a Monday news release. “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.”
While reviewing the prices of 12 common cookout dishes, AFBF found the cost of ground beef has risen the most since last year. A 2-pound pack of ground beef now costs just over $11, up 36% from $8.20 in 2021.
Other popular cookout meats like chicken breasts and pork chops, and staples like potato salad, hamburger buns, and cookies, have also increased in price since the summer of 2021.
Not every item is on the rise, though. According to AFBF, the prices for strawberries, sliced cheese, and potato chips have dropped year-over-year. That’s especially true for the berries – two pints of strawberries cost $4.44 this summer, down from $5.30.
Here’s a look at the year-over-year price differences for each item reviewed by AFBF:
| Item | 2022 | 2021 |
| Ground beef (2-pounds) | $11.12 | $8.20 |
| Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2-pounds) | $8.99 | $6.74 |
| Pork & beans (32 ounces) | $2.53 | $1.90 |
| Center cut pork chops (3 pounds) | $15.26 | $11.63 |
| Fresh-squeezed lemonade (2.5 quarts) | $4.43 | $3.65 |
| Homemade potato salad (2.5 pounds) | $3.27 | $2.75 |
| Hamburger buns (8-pack) | $1.93 | $1.66 |
| Vanilla ice cream (half-gallon) | $5.16 | $4.69 |
| Chocolate chip cookies (13-ounce bag) | $4.31 | $4.02 |
| Strawberries (2 pints) | $4.44 | $5.30 |
| Sliced cheese (1 pound) | $3.53 | $4.05 |
| Potato chips (16 ounces) | $4.71 | $4.93 |
The AFBF compiled data with the help of 176 volunteer shoppers across the U.S. and Puerto Rico.
Grocery store shelves aren’t the only places with high prices. The national average for a regular gallon of gas is almost $5, nearly $2 higher than it was around the same time last year, AAA reports. Gas prices have been falling for the past two weeks, according to AAA, but it’s unclear just how low the prices will go.
AAA predicts roughly 42 million Americans to hit the roads for July Fourth, up from 41.8 million last year.
