Pennsylvania Ag Connection - Pennsylvanians Pay Under National Average for July 4 Cookout

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Pennsylvanians Pay Under National Average for July 4 Cookout
Pennsylvania Ag Connection - 06/30/2016

Consumers across Pennsylvania should pay less for the food they enjoy during a Fourth of July All-American cookout compared to the national average, according to a survey conducted by the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau (PFB). The survey documented the prices of 14 items, including classic cookout foods like cheeseburgers, hot dogs, pork spare ribs, baked beans and potato salad, and then compared those prices to a survey of the same items by the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF).

PFB's informal survey revealed that the average price of a summer cookout for ten people in Pennsylvania costs $55.62 or $5.56 per person, while AFBF's survey put the cost at $56.06, or $5.61 per person. The cost comparison shows that Pennsylvania consumers will pay 44 cents less than the national average.

The chart below include 2016 prices obtained by PFB (noted in red), prices from AFBF over the past two years (noted in blue) and the percentage change between 2016 prices and prices from the previous year. July 4th Cookout for 10 Cost -- Pennsylvania vs. National Average

AFBF indicated that the cost of a summer cookout this year increased by 22 cents compared to 2015, but noted that key items, such as ground round and pork ribs were down. "Prices in the meat case are starting to look better from the consumer's perspective as retail ground round prices are trending lower," said AFBF Economist Veronica Nigh. "On the pork side, an increase of 121 percent in cold storage compared to last year is helping mediate the normal seasonal upswing in spare rib prices."

The summer cookout survey is part of AFBF's marketbasket series, which also includes the popular annual Thanksgiving Dinner Cost Survey. In addition, the year-to-year direction of the marketbasket survey tracks closely with the federal government's Consumer Price Index report for food at home.

AFBF is the nation's largest general farm organization with member families in all 50 states and Puerto Rico.

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