Yet, beyond the excitement, there is a reality that the cost per pound of a bird bound for holiday tables is on the rise. Turkey price this year worked out to be a little over $23 for a 16-pound bird, about $1.44 a pound. But turkey prices have been falling in the last week, the AFB said, as retailers aggressively market them for the holidays.
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The Farm Bureau says the main reason for the increase in 2015 is higher prices for turkey, which can be attributed to disruptions in production due to the outbreak of avian influenza earlier this year on a few turkey farms. Yet Thanksgiving groceries likely won’t cost Americans much more than previous year, and nobody should have to miss gobbling down their favorite holiday foods.
The average cost of the dinner had remained around $49 since 2011.
The price also includes dressing, sweet potatoes, rolls, peas, cranberries, a tray of carrots and celery, milk, and pumpkin pie with whipped cream. A 30-ounce can of pumpkin pie mix increased 8 cents this year to $3.20.
The prices of milk and miscellaneous ingredients experienced the largest year-over-year price declines.
If you’re hosting Thanksgiving dinner next Thursday, be prepared to spend a little more than past year. Turkey prices are $1.65 per pound, up 12 cents a pound on average in this informal survey.
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“Luckily, this year we were able to hit all our numbers, so we’re going to get everyone who needs one a turkey”, said Gozzi.
