Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! While Thanksgiving is supposed to be a holiday to remember what you’re grateful for, it’s hard for many American families to do so when the food on the table is costing far more than years prior.
Inflation continues to be a problem in the United States and around the world, and food prices have suffered because of it. Turkey prices are up 24% and according to The New York Times, turkey production is down 3.6% due to a highly pathogenic avian influenza that has hit poultry farms. This means that around 8 million turkeys were lost this year. It’s also being reported that 44.6 million birds have been affected domestically, primarily chickens and turkeys.
While there isn’t a turkey shortage, prices are more expensive this year due to these reasons. We have seen prices rise around other Thanksgiving favorites like cranberry sauce (up 18%) and mashed potatoes (up 20%).
Overall, Thanksgiving is going to be costing families 13.5% more this year than last year. Wholesale turkey prices are up to an average of $1.79 per pound in October, 40 cents higher than last year’s peak prices. It was also reported that 68% of American households are adjusting their thanksgiving dinner plans because of these rising costs.
Hopefully, these price hikes don’t prevent you from having a happy Thanksgiving! But it should serve as a reminder that politics has a direct impact on our lives, and there are personal consequences when incompetent leaders are in charge.
