Thanksgiving turkey prices expected to increase this year

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Thanksgiving turkey prices overview: 

• Who: The price of turkey will be higher this Thanksgiving due to a combination of inflation and an outbreak of avian bird flu. 
• Why: Inflation has made the cost of raising turkeys more expensive, and the avian bird flu is approaching infection levels not seen since 2015. 
• Where: The turkey price increase is expected nationwide. 

Turkey prices will be higher for consumers this Thanksgiving season due to a combination of inflation and an avian flu outbreak that has reportedly affected 44.6 million birds across 43 states. 

Prices for uncooked poultry, including turkey, rose by 27% year over year in September, according to the most recent Consumer Price Index. The average cost of a whole turkey this week is $1.46 per pound, USA Today reports. 

Average turkey prices are up from $1.15 at this time last year, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). 

Turkey farmers, meanwhile, feel the effects of inflation in the price of fertilizer, feed and labor, which has in turn increased the cost of raising the Thanksgiving-dinner staple, USA Today reports. 

Turkey prices for breast, fresh boneless reach $6.70 per pound

The retail price of skinless turkey breast and fresh boneless turkey reached a record high of $6.70 per pound in September, an increase of 112% since last September, according to analysis by the American Farm Bureau Federation. 

An avian flu outbreak also impacted the price of turkey, with more than 13 million of the birds infected and dying in Iowa, a top state for turkey production, USA Today reports. 

The number of birds affected by the avian bird flu is close to reaching the record set in 2015, when 50 million birds became infected and died, according to the USDA. 

In addition to turkey, other Thanksgiving classics such as butter, frozen vegetables and canned fruit rose in price, USA Today reports. 

Thanksgiving turkey staple Butterball was in the news last year as it dealt with a discrimination class action lawsuit, a turkey shortage and a significant turkey recall in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving. 

Are you planning on buying a Thanksgiving turkey? Let us know in the comments! 

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