By Julie Tomascik

The inevitable trip to the grocery store. It’s usually weekly for most. Sometimes more often. And it comes at a cost. One that’s been on the rise lately for Texas shoppers.

And second quarter grocery prices in the Lone Star State once again showed an increase—97 cents for a basket of 16 food items.

All things considered, that’s not a major increase.

But it was noticeable in the protein section where the prices packed a little punch.

Two staple items all Texans love—beef and poultry—showed sharp increases.

Lean ground beef rose 64 cents to $4.59 per pound. Sirloin steak increased by $1.23 to $7.15 per pound.

We’re out of the drought. Thank goodness! But the effects of the last several years don’t disappear overnight. Parched pastures and the smallest cow herd since the 1950s led to a smaller supply of beef.

But ranchers are rebuilding their beef herds. And that should eventually ease some of the price pressure at the meat counter.

Boneless chicken breasts increased to $3.61 per pound, up 42 cents from the first quarter. Sliced turkey prices also jumped up to $4.86 from $4.36 last quarter.

Although Texas farmers are taking extreme precautions to prevent an outbreak in the Lone Star State, bird flu in the Midwest is leading the charge on price volatility for poultry products.

But there’s some good news.

Texas families saw savings on eight items—tomatoes, bread, corn flakes, long grain rice, dried pinto beans, vanilla cake mix, milk and ice cream.

Food prices are a tough balance. We all want to save money and feed our families nutritious food. And while you’re watching the prices at the cash register, remember that farmers and ranchers only receive a fraction of what you pay.

Check out the full survey results below, or read Texas Farm Bureau’s new release with additional information.

FoodPriceComparison_09.2014