The grocery bill for a summertime cookout is a bit lower than a year ago, thanks to lower prices for cheese, hotdogs, buns and watermelon, says an informal survey by the largest U.S. farm group. The check of retail prices in 30 states says the food to feed 10 people at a cookout will cost around $55.84, down 3 percent from last year when meat prices were zooming to record highs. The price of beef for making cheeseburgers is up slightly, but hotdogs and spareribs cost less, says the American Farm Bureau Federation. An AFBF economist, John Anderson, says lower energy prices, important for processing and shipping food, help hold down prices for many of the items on the shopping list.
The survey was timed to coincide with the Independence Day holiday. AFBF’s Johnson says food prices are fairly stable. The average price of $5.58 per person this year for a cookout compares to $5.76 last year and $5.46 in 2013.