As families prepare to gobble up the popular bird this Thanksgiving, America is heading for a turkey shortage and elevated poultry prices.
According to Department of Agriculture data, the cost of an eight-pound hen has jumped from $1.15 to $1.47 per pound this year, with average prices being highest in the northeastern United States. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an outbreak of the avian flu has affected flocks in 43 states and 304 counties.
In a report from Axios, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack stated during a call with reporters, “Some of the turkeys that are being raised right now for Thanksgiving may not have the full amount of time to get to 20 pounds.”
Over the past two years, Americans have had difficulty celebrating Thanksgiving and other holidays due to rising living expenses. The price of a Thanksgiving dinner climbed 14% over the prior year in a November 2017 announcement by the American Farm Bureau Federation.
“I don’t think you’re going to have to worry about whether or not you can carve your turkey on Thanksgiving,” Vilsack said, noting that smaller birds should still be accessible to households for purchase. “It’s going to be there, maybe smaller, but it’ll be there.”
In a data from the University of Illinois, Each Thanksgiving, Americans eat 46 million turkeys, however, the avian flu outbreak has affected around the same amount of chickens.
Overall food prices have increased by more than 11%. The most recent price level information available from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that poultry prices climbed by 9% between September 2021 and September 2022.
Polls constantly reveal that the economy and cost of living are the two issues that voters are most concerned about. In a poll by ABC News and The Washington Post, the Republicans have a double-digit advantage over Democrats when it comes to trust in how the economy is being handled. As 84% of voters say the economy is their main issue. And s Americans get ready to cast their votes in the midterm elections, the economy has been rocked by inflation and supply chain problems.
On every topic that Americans are prioritizing in the run-up to the elections, from the environment and global commerce to immigration and the economy, President Joe Biden has negative popularity ratings. The commander-in-chief has come under fire for denying blame for the inflation crisis and, more recently, for asserting that his policy program has alleviated the crisis.
The Farm Workforce Modernization Act, for example, would allow the Department of Homeland Security to provide certified agricultural worker status to illegal immigrants who have performed significant farm labor as the agricultural sector, like other businesses, has been plagued by widespread labor shortages.
“After meeting various requirements, including performing a certain amount of agricultural labor for a number of years,” the legislation would also allow migrants and their dependents to “apply for lawful permanent resident status.”
Ahead of a possible strike two months ago, some railroads ceased shipping agricultural products, leading to fears that some producers would need to cull livestock as continued negotiations between national railroad companies and labor unions have also threatened agricultural supply chains.
Watch the video report below:
Sources: Dailywire, Axios, Cdc.gov