Thanksgiving Turkeys Should Be Plentiful in Texas This Year, Texas A&M AgriLife Says — With More Promotions in Stores
Production has recovered from last year's drop of more than 8%: birds to market are up about 3% and total pounds nearly 6%. Wholesale prices are a little higher than a year ago, but AgriLife economist David Anderson expects stores to lean on promotions, and avian flu outbreaks so far are not enough to squeeze holiday supplies.
Texas shoppers should find plenty of Thanksgiving turkeys this year, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service report published Nov. 3, in which economist David Anderson said supplies have recovered and promotions should be plentiful.
Production is back from last year's decline of more than 8%: birds brought to market are up about 3% and total pounds up nearly 6%. Wholesale whole turkeys averaged $1.80 a pound in late October, up from $1.69 the same week last year — a year when wholesale prices had themselves jumped 70% from 99 cents.
At the register, the national average grocery price for a whole conventional frozen turkey averaged $1.26 a pound in early November, up from $1.03 a year ago. USDA's late-October retail report counted about 2,500 stores nationwide advertising frozen conventional whole birds, and Anderson expects more promotions as the holiday nears — retail prices reflect promotions and earlier contracts more than the wholesale spot market.
A few avian influenza outbreaks have been reported, but not enough to significantly affect holiday supplies, the report says. Thanksgiving falls on Thursday, Nov. 26 this year.
