U.S. Thanksgiving feasters are paying premium prices for turkeys this year, after more farmers were cautious with production, figuring a second pandemic holiday could slash demand
By Tom Polansek and Christopher Walljasper
Fewer turkeys were produced this year, so turkey meat prices have soared at a time consumers are already grappling with rising inflation with the global supply chain stumbling into the holiday shopping season. Diestel Family Ranch, which produces turkeys in Sonora, California, raised birds of about the same size for 2021 as it did for 2020, farmer Heidi Diestel said, avoiding guesses on how the pandemic would change demand. The ranch added a few extra petite birds that weigh six to 10 pounds, she said, because they can be eaten year round if not sold for the holidays.
By September, it found consumers turning more cautious about larger gatherings, after showing enthusiasm in June for celebrations with extended family and friends, said Al Jansen, an executive vice president. After about two months of declining infections, the United States has reported daily increases for the past two weeks as temperatures drop and people spend more time indoors.
The agency said wholesale hen turkey prices in September reached about $1.44 per pound, the highest level since recordkeeping began in 2005. Supplies of bigger tom turkeys in cold storage facilities are up, according to official data.
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