For the third year in a row, Americans can put on a backyard barbecue for less than $6 a person, based on a survey of grocery prices across the country, says the largest U.S. farm group. To feed 10 people, the 14-item shopping list, including hamburger, pork ribs, potato salad, baked beans, and watermelon, would cost $57.70, or about $5.70 a person, down marginally from last year.
The meat and dairy products, which account for 45 percent of the cost of the shopped items, are priced lower than they were a year ago, accounting for the small decline in the cost at the cash register. The side dishes and buns cost a little bit more overall than last summer. The American Farm Bureau Federation based its report on the work of 97 members in 25 states who volunteered to check retail prices at local grocery stores.
USDA economists forecast that grocery prices will rise by 0.5 percent this year compared with last year, when prices fell by 1.3 percent, the first instance of food deflation since 1967. Grocery prices rose a modest 1.2 percent in 2015. The 20-year average is a 2.2 percent annual increase.