High beef prices put damper on start of grilling season

Flipping a burger on the grill this Memorial Day weekend is going to burn more of a hole in your wallet.

Ground beef in the U.S. was $4.23 a pound on average in April, a 14 percent increase compared to the previous year, according to the latest food price data available by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In 2010, shoppers were paying an average of $2.36 a pound.

“Ground chuck is just continuing to rise a little bit at a time every week. A lot of people don’t realize it’s actually going up. If you compare it to last year, it’s probably about $1.25 difference a pound, ” said Melissa Metzger, co-owner of Zink’s Quality Meats in Centerville.

The price for ground chuck at Zink’s on Friday was $5.29 a pound.

“The demand for ground chuck is going up and so suppliers raise the price to make more on it. We try to absorb that cost as much as we can,” Metzger said.

Drought conditions in the West last year that caused an increase in corn feed prices has been cited for contributing to nationwide higher beef prices, but it doesn’t impact her suppliers, Metzger said.

“We don’t purchase our product from California or Texas where those droughts are in effect. We use local farmers in Ohio and Indiana,” Metzger said.

Dot’s Market owner Robert Bernhard Jr. said the beef price increase he is seeing is likely due to smaller herds, the drought, but especially the hike in the minimum wage.

“I think most of it is labor driven. Obviously, transportation is not an issue since we are paying extremely lower fuel prices than were were last year at this time. So they can’t use that excuse anymore,” said Bernhard, who operates stores in Kettering and Bellbrook.

Despite the higher prices, Dot’s is running a special on ground chuck.

“$2.99 a pound. That’s a very good price right now. It’s slightly up from last year at this time when we sold it for $2.49 a pound,” Bernhard said.

The higher prices have some shoppers thinking about steering clear of burgers this weekend.

“We are trying to be healthier and when you add in the higher price with the red meat, I guess we are just going to do chicken this year,” said Laura Bergman of Springboro, who is considering a Sunday barbecue.

If burgers are on the menu, Metzger recommends looking for a special on lean beef.

“There are deals. You should be looking for more than just the bottom price. Look at how much fat you are going to be cutting off and wasting. You pay for the fat whether you eat it or not,” Metzger said.

Beef prices were up 15 consecutive months as of April, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. But, still Americans spent about $298 per person on beef in 2014, and $170 on pork, according to the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, the highest amounts in 25 years.

“I think they will continue to go up. We are just starting the summer season and we’ve had multiple years of drought. I don’t see this year being a salvation or a savior year. I don’t see the herds increasing by any substantial numbers,” Bernhard said.

But it’s not all bad news for beef. The price of steaks at Zink’s have been the same for two years, Metzger said.

“Our New York strips will actually be cheaper than they were last year at this time,” Metzger said. The price on Friday was $19.99 a pound.

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