Home-grilled cheeseburgers, a summer cookout staple, will cost consumers more this Independence Day weekend. USDA’s Economic Research Service says the ingredients for a home-prepared 1/4-pound cheeseburger totaled $2.07 per burger, with ground beef making up the largest cost at $1.20. This represents an increase of 11.3 percent compared to the $1.86 it cost to produce the same cheeseburger in 2021. Ground beef prices increased 16.9 percent and accounted for 17 cents of the increase between 2021 and 2022. Cheddar cheese and bread costs each rose about one cent per burger from 2021 to 2022. Iceberg lettuce prices rose the most, by 23.3 percent, but the relatively small proportion it contributes to the total cost of a burger means it added just two cents to the total. The American Farm Bureau Federation earlier this week also released its summer marketbasket survey, showing the cost of a July 4th cookout is 17 percent higher than a year ago.
The American Ag Network is a nationwide radio, digital and multimedia ag news network based in Fargo, ND.
© American Ag Network 2022