Purdue Economist: Thanksgiving Turkey Prices Up This Year

Thanksgiving holiday food shoppers will find adequate supplies of turkeys but at higher prices, depending on the type and whether grocers pass the increases on to customers or eat the loss themselves, a Purdue University agricultural economist says.

Wholesale prices of turkeys are expected to be 8-10 percent higher than last year, said Corinne Alexander, who tracks trends in food prices. The U.S. Department of Agriculture predicts wholesale prices for Eastern market whole turkey will be between $1.12 and $1.16 per pound in the fourth quarter of this year, compared with $1.05 per pound this time last year.

The higher prices for turkeys primarily are being driven by higher feed costs following the drought of 2012, Alexander said.

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