Your Thanksgiving turkey will cost more this year
The star of the Thanksgiving feast may be hard to come by this year.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - The star of the Thanksgiving feast may be hard to come by this year.
“We’re not anticipating a turkey crisis this season,” President of the Tennessee Grocers and Convenience Stores Association Rob Ikard said. “You can expect to pay more for your bird this year.”
Wholesale prices are up 23 percent, according to the University of Tennessee Haslam Chair in Logistics at the Haslam College of Business, Thomas Goldsby.
“We are seeing fewer birds making their way to market, and that’s largely attributed to the bird flu. And then those birds that are making their way to market are going to be leaner and also cost more,” Goldsby explained.
That’s because it’s more expensive to feed turkeys.
“With the pressures on supply, that price is part of the way of ensuring everybody has a turkey,” Ikard said.
There are things you can do since those prices will be passed on to the consumer.
“Turkey is something that does freeze well so if you have that storage space and you can get your hands on a good quality bird, probably a good idea,” Goldsby said.
People can also consider another option like ham, chicken, steak or something else.
“Ultimately the turkey population will probably catch up, and we’ll be able to remedy the situation, control it a bit better, but it’s probably something that’s going to be with us for the foreseeable future,” Goldsby said.
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