Summer cookout costs more

The new American Farm Bureau Federation market basket survey out just in time for Independence Day shows the grocery bill for a summer cookout will cost consumers in the U.S. 17 percent more than last year.

This survey focuses on common food which is part of a traditional Fourth of July cookout such as pork chops, chicken, cheeseburgers and homemade potato salad. The cost comes out to $69.68 for 10 people or about $7 a person and indicates the largest increase since the annual survey started about 10 years ago.

Factors driving higher prices include supply chain disruptions, inflation and the ongoing war in Ukraine. Food costs may be rising but this does not mean a windfall for farmers as they are facing skyrocketing input costs. Farmers only receive about 8 percent of every food marketing dollar.