Fall is here with Thanksgiving around the corner, and that means turkey and pumpkin pie are on everybody?s menus. However, you might have to stretch your budget a little higher this year. As you plan your holiday meal, American Farm Bureau Federation Economist Brent Nelson said you will notice higher prices for turkey and eggs.
?We’ve seen record high prices in turkeys and eggs for that matter,? Nelson said. ?And that really comes from some disruptions we’ve had in supply as we’ve had avian influenza that gave us some trouble in the spring, now starting to come back a little bit in the fall.?
Nelson said cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza resurfaced in August following the outbreak this spring.
?The first case of HPAI in a commercial or backyard flock since the outbreak in 2015 occurred on February 8,? Nelson said. ?Now, we’re starting to see a resurgence with another case, August 26. Since that date, there have been 23 cases of high pathogenic avian influenza. And so, as this has crept up, we started to see some concerns about turkey supplies.?
Additionally, supply, demand, and inflation are all contributing to the record prices as well. Nelson said how long the record prices will continue depends on future outbreaks of HPAI.
?If we see a spring resurgence of HPAI, we may continue to see some declining numbers,? Nelson said. ?The good news is that fall HPAI detections are well below these spring numbers. And while there should be enough to go around for Thanksgiving, pressure will keep these prices high with supplies forecasted lower and demand forecasted to increase for 2023.?
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