# 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.
- Title: Why 5 grocery items fluctuate in price · NPR | Shortify
- Summary: Grocery prices for eggs, coffee, butter, ground beef and chocolate chip cookies swing wildly due to weather, trade and disease. Eggs, coffee, butter, ground…
- Keywords: eggs, coffee, butter, ground beef, chocolate chip cookies, avian flu, tariffs, drought, supply chain, bureau of labor statistics, walmart, trump administration
- Source: NPR — https://npr.org/2026/10/20/nx-s1-5989636/grocery-prices-eggs-coffee-inflation
- Published: 2026-10-20T00:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: eggs, coffee, butter, ground beef, chocolate chip cookies, avian flu, tariffs, drought, supply chain, bureau of labor statistics, walmart, trump administration
## 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.
## Key takeaway

Eggs, coffee, butter, ground beef and chocolate chip cookies face price swings from avian flu, tariffs, droughts and supply chains.