Price Of Holiday BBQ On The Rise
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS) -- If the burgers at this years memorial day BBQ seemed a little deflated, you may have inflation to thank.
Nation-wide, the average cost of a memorial day BBQ is up 29-percent.
While gas is the driving factor behind the hike in food prices (gas is up more than 33% over the past year) it doesn't make the numbers any easier to stomach.
According to the department of labor, the price of ground beef and cheese are up 12% over last year and veggies have seen an even bigger spike. Lettuce is up 28%, tomatoes are up 86%,
but the biggest price increase is corn on the cob, up 150%.
Part of the reason corn on the cob is likely so high, more and more growers are abandoning veggies to plant corn for ethanol gas.
In fact, according to the Department of Agriculture, 43 percent of last year's corn crop ended up in gas tanks.
Factor that in to the rest of the BBQ and the average price per person before drinks, is around 17 dollars.
As the department of agriculture expects these prices to continue to raise, several fast food companies, like mc Donald's to star bucks have announced they'll be passing on higher prices to consumers.
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