It's the time of the year again that turkey becomes the star of the menu in every American household. But this year, the supply of this popular poultry, which is usually showcased during the holidays, is affecting the prices.
Due to the worst-ever bird flu outbreak earlier this year where almost 8 million turkeys were destroyed, Thanksgiving turkey prices are remarkably high. But shoppers seemed to be unaffected by the increase in valuation. Because it's Thanksgiving, you got to have turkey, right?
Since the high Thanksgiving turkey prices have not been felt by the consumers, grocery chain general manager Dan Wellinghoff is advising consumers to buy frozen turkeys rather than a fresh one to save money, CBS Minnesota noted.
"They may choose other things, but really turkeys sell out Thanksgiving every year and I don't see that being any different this year," Wellinghoff said. "People like the frozen ones because they can buy them early and store them. You know, pricewise they're a little better than the fresh."
While frozen Thanksgiving turkey prices have increased an average of $1.08 a pound in early November, compared to $0.89 a pound last year, ham prices are lower because pork production is up this year. As for the risk for bird flu infection in humans, the USDA, CDC and the Department of Health have assured the risks to humans are extremely low. They also stated that many of the turkeys that will be on Thanksgiving tables this year were already slaughtered and frozen before the outbreak.
Meanwhile, for those who prefer to celebrate Thanksgiving at home, Bills Insider reported that Pastry Bar offers a Thanksgiving take-away menu featuring Herb scented roasted turkey and Honey-glazed baked ham. So, you can enjoy turkey without the hassles of preparing and cooking them
In other news, the worst-ever U.S. outbreak of avian influenza that destroyed millions of turkeys this year has not only affected its prices but also their sizes. According to Chicago Tribune, Americans will consume about 49 million turkeys for Thanksgiving holiday meals on Nov. 26, or almost one of every five that will be consumed all year.
"The larger-sized birds will be difficult to get this year," meat buyer John Taormina said, He also added that the biggest available at his upscale stores will be 20 pounds to 22 pounds, which is big enough to feed about 15 people.
Since some turkey farmers haven't recovered from a six-month outbreak that ended in June, Bayville, New Jersey-based commodity researcher Urner Barry Vice President Russ Whitman said that many were forced to sell birds earlier than normal and at smaller sizes. And as per the U.S. Department of Agriculture data, production fell to a five-year low, and the September weight decline for turkeys was the biggest for that month in four decades.
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