Farmer's share of the food dollar remains low

From Montana Farmers Union

The Farmer’s Share of the food dollar remains low, according to numbers released by National Farmers Union ahead of the Fourth of July.

The 2023 numbers for the Farmer’s Share of the food dollar for several items typically served at a Fourth of July cookout highlight why NFU’s work to improve Fairness for Farmers is crucial to the success of family farms and ranches.  

“Year after year we’re seeing a troubling trend of farmers earning less and less of the dollars that Americans spend at the grocery store,” said NFU President Rob Larew.

“Whether it’s the highly consolidated meatpacking industry, or harmful mergers in the grocery sector, farmers and consumers are being squeezed out of their hard-earned money,” Larew said. 

Last year, the United States Department of Agriculture announced that the farmer’s share of the food dollar had reached a historic low at just 14.5 cents of every dollar spent.  

“It doesn’t have to be this way. Through our Fairness for Farmers campaign, we’re fighting for a 2023 Farm Bill that creates fairer and more competitive markets that benefit farmers and consumers,” Larew said.

Included in the 2023 Fourth of July Farmer’s Share numbers are: 

• 8 ct hamburger buns: Retail price, $3.49. Farmer’s Share, $0.10 

• 2 lbs ground beef: Retail price, $11.07. Farmer’s Share, $3.42 

• 1 lb tomatoes: Retail price, $2.00. Farmer’s Share, $0.42 

• 1 lb lettuce: Retail price, $2.79. Farmer’s Share, $0.76 

• Party Size Potato Chips: Retail price, $5.99. Farmer’s Share, $0.29 

• 2l Soda: Retail price, $1.19. Farmer’s Share, $0.09 

Data for this publication was sourced from USDA NASS, and other industry sources.Visit https://nfu.org/farmers-share for more information on the Farmer’s Share. 

Learn more about NFU and MFU’s efforts to secure Fairness for Farmers at https://nfu.org and https://montanafarmersunion.com .