Prices for turkey, a Thanksgiving staple, have increased more
than prices for most other grocery store foods in recent years.
From 2005 to 2011, average retail turkey prices increased by 47
percent, while food-at-home prices rose by 13 percent. Higher feed
costs and energy prices led producers to reduce turkey inventories,
driving up retail turkey prices. However, average turkey prices
fall every year near Thanksgiving, and most years, retail turkey
prices are at annual lows in November or December. Prices of other
Thanksgiving foods have not followed similar trends. Potato prices,
for example, have increased more in line with food-at-home prices
and do not show a strong seasonal pattern. More information on food
price changes and forecasts can be found in ERS's Food
Price Outlook data product, updated October
25, 2012. For more information on the U.S. turkey sector,
visit the Poultry & Eggs
topic page on the ERS website.