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Wisconsin food prices up 2% for the quarter

Wisconsin retail food prices increased just over 2 percent during the third quarter. The Wisconsin Farm Bureau says the price of the 16 items in their Marketbasket Survey was $50.55 at the end of September, up $1.06 from the end of June and $5.26 above a year ago.

Prices increased on ten of the 16 items with eggs leading the way, increasing 20 percent. Shredded Mozzarella cheese increased 17 percent, apples are up 16 percent and bagged salad is 13 percent higher than it was at the end of June.

Cheerios, ground chuck, sirloin tip roast, sliced deli ham, boneless chicken breast and vegetable oil were the six items that saw modest reductions in price since the second quarter. The largest decrease was the price of boneless chicken breast falling by 34 cents or 8 percent.

Wisconsin consumers are still paying less than the national average, the American Farm Bureau market basket price was $53.12 for the third quarter, up 4 percent from the second quarter. We are paying more than the national average for bagged salad, whole milk, bacon, ground chuck and boneless chicken breast.

USDA says while food prices are moving higher, the amount going to the farmer continues to decline. Of the $50.55 for the 16 items in the Marketbasket, about 16 percent or $8.08 goes to the farmer. Americans spend about ten percent of disposable annual income on food, the lowest average in the world.

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