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TEMPERATURES RISE, PRODUCE PRICES FALL
 | | T-bone steaks are affordable, succulent staples to keep on hand this summer. Shoppers saved an average of 37 cents a pound this month on this popular cut of meat. |
MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- Early summer months are laden with pool parties, picnics and family vacations. A common thread among each of these events? Food. Though grocery prices in June were mixed overall, shoppers still managed to pocket a little savings. According to the latest results from the Federation's monthly food price survey, the average cost of 20 basic market basket items was $53.94, down 3 cents or 0.06 percent from a month earlier. A sharp rise in the average price of bacon and pork chops offset savings in the rest of the meat case this month. Bacon was up 45 cents a pound to $4.68, while pork chops increased 30 cents to $3.55 a pound. Boston butts increased 3 cents this month to $1.88 a pound; ground beef was up a nickel to $2.53 a pound; and whole fryers were up 6 cents a pound to $1.24. Meanwhile, shoppers found sizzling savings on T-bone steaks, chicken breasts and chuck roasts. T-bone steaks were down 37 cents a pound to $8.68; chicken breasts were down 11 cents to $2.12; and chuck roasts were down a penny to $3.43 a pound. Eggs averaged at $1.27 a dozen, a savings of 6 cents from May. Summer salad ingredients were good buys this month, as shoppers found significant savings along the produce aisle. Tomatoes saw a sharp decline of 69 cents to $1.63 a pound, while lettuce dropped 2 cents to $1.35 a head. Red potato prices also fell this month, down 3 cents to 82 cents a pound. Sweet potatoes were up 3 cents to 93 cents a pound. Prices in the dairy case experienced a modest increase, up 10 cents on average. Butter increased 21 cents a pound to $3.67; cottage cheese increased 12 cents to $2.57 a pound; ice cream was up 5 cents a half-gallon to $3.90; and milk increased 2 cents to $2.95 a half-gallon. Regional reports collected by volunteer shoppers throughout the state June 1-10 showed the market basket averaged $52 in northwest Alabama, $54.29 in northeast Alabama, $54.73 in central Alabama and $55.19 in south Alabama. Alabama Farmers Federation, a member of the American Farm Bureau Federation, is the state's largest farm organization. Its county members conduct the informal monthly market basket survey as a tool to reflect retail food price trends.
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