Farm Bureau Press
Families celebrating the Fourth of July holiday continue to find high prices at the grocery store, based on the 2025 American Farm Bureau Federation annual marketbasket survey. An Independence Day cookout will cost $70.92 for 10 guests this year.
This is down only 30 cents from last year’s record-high cost. At $7.09 per person, 2025 will be the second-highest cost since Farm Bureau began the survey in 2013. The cookout favorites include cheeseburgers, chicken
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American Farm Bureau Applauds Suspension of Burdensome Labor Rule, Page 2
Livestock Relief Program: How it Works, Page 3
Ag in the Classroom | Boone County Women’s Leadership Committee took the milk cow demonstration to Harrison Middle School. In addition to the demonstration, they talked to students about the dairy and beef industries.
Teachers on the Farm | Teachers from across Arkansas experienced agriculture through a partnership between Arkansas Farm Bureau Ag in the Classroom and Economics Arkansas. Teachers participated in a local farm tour, which included stops at Cypress Valley Meat Company, Flying C Ranch and Simon Bros. Dairy.
COST OF SUMMER COOKOUT SURVEY
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breasts, pork chops, homemade potato salad, strawberries and ice cream, among other products. While the survey does not include an exhaustive list of Fourth of July options, it serves as a snapshot of prices families are facing this summer.
In Arkansas, the average cost of a this year’s cookout totaled $69.45, following the downward trend from 2024. Like every other state in the survey, beef and pork remain the highest priced commodity to include in an Independence Day celebration at $12.47 for two pounds of beef and $15.45 for three pounds of pork chops.
“Inflation and lower availability of some food items continue to keep prices stubbornly high for America’s families,” said AFBF Associate Economist Samantha Ayoub. “High prices doesn’t mean more money for farmers, however. Farmers are price takers, not price makers. Their share of the food retail dollar is just 15%. The cost of running their farm is up, from labor and transportation, to taxes.”
The marketbasket survey shows an increase in the cost of beef, potato salad and canned pork and beans, while there are drops in the cost of pork chops, chips and hamburger buns.
The retail price for 2 pounds of ground beef increased 4.4% to $13.33. Pork and beans will cost $2.69, up 20 cents from 2024. Potato salad is up 6.6% to $3.54. Several factors influence these increases, reflecting the sort of challenges farmers regularly face. Fewer cattle are available for processing, which is affecting supplies. Steel and aluminum tariffs mean increased prices on canned goods. The cost of eggs – used in potato saladis still elevated, although they are much lower than record highs earlier this year as egg-laying chicken populations are recovering from avian influenza.
Our survey found a reduction in cost for six cookout staples. Among them is a 3-pound package of pork chops, which is down 8.8% from last year, at $14.13. Chips average $4.80 a bag, a dime less than 2024. Hamburger buns are 2.6% less expensive, at $2.35. The amount of pork available to stores is up, which
AMERICAN FARM BUREAU APPLAUDS
BURDENSOME LABOR RULE
American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall commented on the Department of Labor suspending a rule dubbed the Farmworker Protection Act, which failed to live up to its name and was initially struck down by a district court.
“Farm Bureau thanks Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer and the Trump administration for recognizing the obstacles created by this complex rule, which pit workers against their employers. Farmers value the men and women who choose to work on their farms, so they don’t take lightly the responsibility to care
SURVEY
is pushing prices down. The demand for potatoes has eased, helping bring down the cost of chips. Wheat prices are still much lower than record highs of three years ago, contributing to the slight decrease in the cost of buns.
Although the $7.09 per-person cost is near a historic high, when put in a global context, people in the U.S. spend a smaller percentage of their expenditures on food than in any other country.
AFBF President Zippy Duvall said, “We can celebrate America’s independence every year in part because of the hard work of the farmers and ranchers who contribute to the nation’s food independence. Farmers are dedicated to doing the right thing, and their commitment to sustainable and innovative farming practices ensures a safe and abundant food supply for every family in America.
“Farmers and ranchers achieve this, in part, through research, conservation and farm safety net programs that are made possible through a strong farm bill. We urge members of Congress to return from their holiday break and pass a new, modernized five-year farm bill. We appreciate efforts during the reconciliation process to address some issues facing agriculture, but only a new farm bill will bring the certainty farmers need to continue leading the world in agriculture.”
The federal government’s broader Consumer Price Index report for food at home shows an overall increase of 2.2% compared to a year ago. Farm Bureau’s informal marketbasket survey examines only those foods commonly associated with summer cookouts.
The July Fourth cookout survey is part of the Farm Bureau marketbasket series, which also includes the popular annual Thanksgiving dinner cost survey of common food staples Americans use to prepare a holiday meal at home.
Read the full results of the 2025 Fourth of July Cookout Survey here.
APPLAUDS SUSPENSION OF
for them. Our laws rightly penalize bad actors, but this rule assumed all employers are guilty until proven innocent.
“We pressed the administration to recognize the impact overreaching regulations have on farm viability and see this as a step in the right direction. We urge Congress to now follow the lead of the courts, which agreed with AFBF, and the administration by rescinding the rule altogether. Farmers need workable programs that ensure they can continue to provide jobs and put food on the table for America’s families.”
EMERGENCY LIVESTOCK RELIEF PROGRAM: HOW IT WORKS
Persistent drought and devastating wildfires across much of the U.S. in 2023 and 2024 significantly impacted livestock producers’ ability to maintain herd sizes and grazing operations. In response, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is delivering relief through the Emergency Livestock Relief Program (ELRP) 2023 and 2024. The program was formally implemented through a final rule published in the Federal Register on May 29, 2025.
ELRP 2023 and 2024 builds on a series of ad hoc livestock disaster assistance efforts launched after successive years of extreme weather. Like its predecessors, this latest iteration leverages data from the Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) to streamline delivery. Authorized under Title I of the Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2025 (American Relief Act), the program allocates up to $2 billion for livestock-related losses, with approximately $1 billion committed to ELRP specifically for drought and wildfire damage. Unlike other disaster programs, ELRP 2023 and 2024 does not require a new application process. Instead, USDA will automatically issue payments to livestock producers with approved 2023 or 2024 LFP applications on file. The same eligibility rules that applied to LFP — such as livestock type, grazing land location and drought severity — carry over, with one notable exception: the average adjusted gross income (AGI) limit from LFP does not apply to ELRP.
Learn more about the Emergency Livestock Relief Program and how it works here.
