Why Turkey Prices Are Rising

With inflation at a 30-year high and turkey prices rising, Thanksgiving dinner in 2021 might end up being one of the priciest holiday meals on record. U.S. turkey farmers have been battered by a range of supply chain issues including labor shortages in processing plants and higher costs in everything including feed, transportation and packaging materials. Those disruptions have caused turkey prices to spike. As of November 2021 the wholesale price of frozen whole tom turkeys weighing 16 to 24 lbs was $1.36 per pound, 18% higher than a year earlier. And turkeys are also in shorter supply. In October 2021, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said the supply of turkeys in cold storage was down 20% from a year earlier. More than 109 million Americans are expected to travel for Thanksgiving in 2021 and 65% of Americans expect Covid-19 to impact their Thanksgiving celebrations. So what can consumers expect when they shop for their Thanksgiving turkey and what impact will the supply chain crisis have on the nation's turkey farmers?