Avian Flu, Turkey Shortages and Inflation: Why Thanksgiving Might be More Expensive This Year

This year, the avian flu, inflation and shortages are raising the prices of turkeys and making them harder to find. 

The avian flu, tragically, has wiped out 3.6 percent of the nation’s turkeys (7.3 million birds) this year, according to The New York Times. The avian flu is a highly contagious strain of the influenza virus that spreads among different species of domestic and wild birds. The virus, which usually peaks in the Spring and fizzles out over the summer, per The New York Times, has stuck around and appeared in 42 states and counting. The avian flu has hindered many poultry raisers from producing their normal amount of turkeys for the season. 

Another factor contributing to the rising cost of Thanksgiving is inflation. Thomas Elam, a poultry industry expert, warned consumers that turkey prices will reach a “record high” come Thanksgiving and Christmas during an interview with Watt Poultry.

Elam explains that with the anticipated higher prices for turkey, many consumers will settle for another source of protein for the holiday. In the interview, he concluded, “The volume may be down but it’s certainly not going to disappear. I think if anybody is willing to pay the higher prices very likely at retail stores, they should be able to buy a turkey if they really, really want one.”

Other sources also admit that shoppers will most likely be able to find a turkey—just not the variety of options they have had in the past. 

The New York Times analyzed data from the USDA and reported, “This week, the average retail price for a frozen turkey is $1.99 a pound, according to the agriculture department’s weekly turkey report. That is up 73 percent from 2021.” This is an alarming fact and a real wake-up call on how these various factors are affecting turkey prices this year.