July 13, 2015

Arizona Food Prices Down, Despite Spike in Egg Cost

Quarterly survey shows a slight rise since beginning of the year, drop compared to 2014

Meat at Grocery Store
Arizona Public Media

Listen:

Notice a difference lately in how much you’re shelling out at the grocery store?

A quarterly survey from the Arizona Farm Bureau Federation shows food prices in Arizona are down compared to this time last year, with a few exceptions.

Most notably: eggs.

Alma Flores works the cash register at the Food City on west Saint Mary’s Road. She said she’s heard a lot of grumbling lately about the high price of eggs, but her customers are still buying them.

The Farm Bureau's survey shows the cost of a dozen eggs has risen $1.12 since the beginning of the year to an average $3.23.

That increase is a result of an outbreak of bird flu that has killed millions of chickens across the country.

The farm bureau tracks the cost of 16 staple foods. Despite the spike in the cost of eggs, Arizonans are actually paying about 3 percent less at the grocery store compared to this time last year.

Cashier Flores said she’s noticed that the totals she’s ringing up lately are down a little. And like many of her customers, the higher price of eggs hasn’t deterred her from buying them.

Basic foods, she said, will end up in the shopping cart no matter the price.

By posting comments, you agree to our
AZPM encourages comments, but comments that contain profanity, unrelated information, threats, libel, defamatory statements, obscenities, pornography or that violate the law are not allowed. Comments that promote commercial products or services are not allowed. Comments in violation of this policy will be removed. Continued posting of comments that violate this policy will result in the commenter being banned from the site.

By submitting your comments, you hereby give AZPM the right to post your comments and potentially use them in any other form of media operated by this institution.
AZPM is a service of the University of Arizona and our broadcast stations are licensed to the Arizona Board of Regents who hold the trademarks for Arizona Public Media and AZPM. We respectfully acknowledge the University of Arizona is on the land and territories of Indigenous peoples.
The University of Arizona