> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.investigatemidwest.org/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# With Iran War, food prices will grow faster than originally expected this year, USDA predicts
- URL: https://www.investigatemidwest.org/with-iran-war-food-prices-will-grow-faster-than-originally-expected-this-year-usda-predicts/
- Published: 2026-04-14T13:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-23T18:12:40.000Z
- Description: In late February, the US Department of Agriculture had already predicted food prices in 2026 would increase faster than inflation. A month into the war, some prices will likely skyrocket.
- Author: Sky Chadde, Investigate Midwest
- Tags: Data Harvest, TP::Explainer, high food prices, iran war food prices, iran war gas prices, president trump iran war, USDA, why are groceries so high, why are grocery prices so high, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-06-18 04:56

In late February, President Trump approved attacks on Iran — and potentially blew a hole through a signature campaign promise.

As he ran for a second presidency, Trump said repeatedly he would “defeat inflation.” Once in office, and as grocery prices [continued to increase](https://www.investigatemidwest.org/trump-promised-to-lower-food-prices-but-theyre-still-going-up/) throughout 2025, he said affordability was a “con job.”

Food prices were already expected to increase in 2026, and at a faster rate than their 20-year historical average.

But the war with Iran will likely turbocharge grocery prices, particularly beef, according to revised forecasts from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

In a [report](https://web.archive.org/web/20260228105921/https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-price-outlook/summary-findings) published on Feb. 25, the USDA predicted overall food prices would increase by 3.1%, faster than inflation.

Beef prices were expected to increase 5.5%.

However, since then, the war has driven up fuel prices, which will increase the price of food and other products.

In a [report](https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-price-outlook/summary-findings?ref=investigatemidwest.org) released on March 25, the USDA revised its predictions. Overall, food is now expected to grow by 3.6%. If that holds true, food prices will increase more than in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic snarled supply chains, according to the USDA.

Beef prices are now expected to increase by 10.1%.

Egg prices, a [major part of Trump’s messaging](https://www.investigatemidwest.org/trump-says-groceries-even-eggs-are-down-the-numbers-tell-a-different-story/) on affordability early in his second term, are still expected to drop but not as much as predicted.