December retail price information issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service (ERS) and the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) showed that, compared with 2017 data, consumers paid slightly lower retail prices for pork, broilers and turkey but higher prices for beef, eggs and cheddar cheese.

The 2018 ERS pork retail value of $3.74/lb. was about 1% below the 2017 value, USDA noted in the latest “Livestock, Dairy & Poultry Outlook.”

The outlook showed that the ERS retail broiler composite averaged $1.87/lb. last year, about 0.15% below its 2017 level of $1.88/lb. The BLS frozen whole turkey retail price last year averaged $1.50, about 5% lower than turkey retail prices in 2017.

The story was different for eggs, beef and cheese, according to the outlook. The ERS retail Choice beef value for 2018 was $5.92/lb., 0.25% above the 2017 average. The BLS 2018 retail price for Grade A eggs of $1.74/doz. averaged almost 19% above prices in 2017. The BLS natural cheddar cheese price last year averaged $5.14/lb., almost 5% above the $4.90/lb. average in 2017.