From NPR · · 1m 50s
Why 5 grocery items fluctuate in price
Grocery prices for eggs, coffee, butter, ground beef and chocolate chip cookies swing wildly due to weather, trade and disease.
In brief
Grocery prices for eggs, coffee, butter, ground beef and chocolate chip cookies swing wildly due to weather, trade and disease. Eggs, coffee, butter, ground beef and chocolate chip cookies face price swings from avian flu, tariffs, droughts and supply chains. Originally reported by NPR.
Grocery prices out of whack
Grocery prices have been out of whack since the pandemic due to lockdowns and pent-up demand.
2022 food inflation surge
Food prices rose 11.4% in 2022 due to pent-up demand, avian flu outbreaks and Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Ricky Volpe on grocery inflation
Ricky Volpe, a professor of agribusiness at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, says current grocery inflation is on top of already high prices.
Ground beef price jump
Ground beef cost $6.79 per pound last month, an 85% increase from a decade earlier.
Droughts and cattle herds
Recent droughts have devastated U.S. cattle herds, leading to the smallest U.S. cattle herd in 75 years.
Eggs price swings
Eggs reached a record high of $6.23 per dozen in March 2024 before dropping to $2.27 last month.
Coffee price rise
Coffee prices are 44% higher than two years ago due to droughts and heavy rainfall in coffee-producing countries.
Butter price drop
Butter costs $3.96 per pound, down 17.3% since last year despite rising food prices.
Chocolate chip cookies
Chocolate chip cookies cost $5.35 per pound in January 2024 but dropped 20 cents last month.
Avian flu impact
Avian flu outbreaks force farms to cull chickens, reducing supply and raising egg prices.
Trump tariffs on coffee
Trump administration tariffs on Brazil, a top coffee supplier, raised coffee prices for U.S. consumers.
Butter supply boom
U.S. butter production is booming due to increased milk supply for Greek yogurt and cottage cheese.
The bottom line
Eggs, coffee, butter, ground beef and chocolate chip cookies face price swings from avian flu, tariffs, droughts and supply chains.
