AFBF: Avian flu drives record high turkey prices

The price of turkey per pound has reached its highest point since 2015, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), at $6.70 per pound. This year’s highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak has played a major role in driving up prices – similarly to the 2014-2015 outbreak in which turkey was $5.88 per pound.

Person in Apron holding Turkey
Person in Apron holding Turkey
(morganlstudios |  BigStockPhoto.com)

The price of turkey per pound has reached its highest point since 2015, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), at $6.70 per pound. This year’s highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak has played a major role in driving up prices – similarly to the 2014-2015 outbreak in which turkey was $5.88 per pound.

“All of us are feeling the pain of higher prices at the grocery store,” said AFBF President Zippy Duvall. “HPAI outbreaks in the spring and an uptick in cases in the fall are taking a toll, but farmers remain dedicated to ensuring America’s food supply remains strong.”

Inflation

As of September 2022, fresh boneless, skinless turkey breast was $6.70 per pound – 112% higher than September 2021. Inflation has contributed to the record high prices as well with all retail food prices 11.4% higher in August 2022 compared to the same time last year. The AFBF is also discouraging pointing fingers at farmers for the higher prices as they are dealing with increasing production costs – 17.8% higher compared to last year – which will ultimately trickle down to the consumer. 

Reduced supply

The supply of turkeys for Thanksgiving this year is also not what it has been in previous years since approximately 5.8 million U.S. turkeys were culled as part of HPAI mitigation efforts. And as of July 2022, U.S. ready-to-cook turkey totaled 391 million pounds – the smallest monthly output since 1999. 

To learn more about HPAI cases in commercial poultry flocks in the United States and Canada, see an interactive map on WATTPoultry.com.

Read our ongoing coverage of the global avian influenza outbreak.

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