A check of food prices in 25 states says it will cost less than $6 a person to put on a summer picnic. Overall, the price of groceries for the meal is up 5 percent from 2013. Meat and cheese are up the most – more than 13 percent – in the informal survey by the American Farm Bureau Federation and timed to coincide with the Independence Day weekend. Its 84 volunteer shoppers gathered prices for enough food to feed 10 people. The menu included hot dogs, cheeseburgers, pork spare ribs, potato salad, baked beans and watermelon.
Agricultural lender Rabobank got a similar result with its BBQ Index, issued last week. It estimated the cost of a home-cooked barbeque for 10 people at $67, up $2, or 3 percent, from last year. It found the price of beef, chicken, cheese, lettuce, tomato and ice cream were up while chips and soft drinks cost less. Rabobank included beer in its shopping list. The Farm Bureau used lemonade and chocolate milk.