Turkeys are 70% more expensive than last year
Thanksgiving food will cost more than it did last year. This year, turkeys are about 70% more expensive. Currently, the bird costs $1.99 per pound compared to $1.15 in 2021, according to data shared by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
USDA data indicates there is a 73% increase in the price per pound for a turkey from eight to 16 pounds.
The Farm Bureau organization also shared data showing the huge increase in turkey prices. According to their analysis, the retail price of fresh, boneless, skinless turkey breast hit a record $6.70 per pound in September, up 112% from the same period in 2021, when prices were $3.16 per pound. .
The cost of a 10-pound turkey for a family gathering of 10 people (considering one pound per person) would come to about $60.
Turkey prices and availability may be affected by various factors, including the spread of avian flu and inflation.
The current turkey cost is above the last record-breaking Thanksgiving turkey in 2015. According to the Farm Bureau, costs were $5.88 per pound in November 2015, the record price due to the outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza ( HPAI).
This 2022, 47.6 million birds have been affected by bird flu, and the disease has been detected in 42 states. Additionally, the cost of feeding turkeys also increased by more than 10% from August 2021 to August 2022.
Even though poultry prices are higher this year, there would be enough turkeys available for Thanksgiving demand.
“Outbreaks of avian influenza in the spring and a surge in cases in the fall are taking their toll, but farmers remain dedicated to ensuring that America’s food supply remains strong,” said the president of the American Farm Bureau Federation. (AFBF), Zippy Duvall.
The organization ensures that farmers are not benefiting from record prices. They point out that farmers are also feeling the pinch of inflation, having to pay more for fuel, fertilizer, poultry feed and labor costs, making raising turkeys even more expensive.
