Are you planning a Memorial Day barbecue? The groceries you need might break the bank.
Those grilling out Memorial Day weekend will spend more on their groceries for the barbecue than they did last year.
The meat market is no longer as competitive as it once was. The country’s farmers and ranchers have been at the mercy of a handful of buyers. Those buyers also get to set the prices they charge the stores where you shop.
“Even as these conglomerates raise prices at the grocery stores, they push down prices for farmers and ranchers, taking wealth out of rural communities and hurting consumers,” the White House reported last January.
After the USDA reviewed comments from hundreds of southern farmers and ranchers, the Biden-Harris administration proposed $1 billion of the American Rescue Plan funds would address their issues. But, that hasn’t changed what you’ll see shopping for ribs at Publix or Walmart this weekend.
Last year, pork ribs averaged about $3.17 per pound. Today, it’s closer to $3.43. Hot dogs have risen from $3.55 last year to $5.22 today.
This chart shows how hot dog prices have changed since 2019.
Here’s a chart of the price changes for all of your barbecue favorites since last May.
This story was originally published May 27, 2022 at 9:50 AM.
