(The Center Square) – As we get closer to the holiday, the cost of Thanksgiving dinner is more affordable than it has been in years, but the dinner is still more expensive than before the pandemic.
The American Farm Bureau Federation’s 39th annual Thanksgiving dinner survey provides a snapshot of the average cost of this year’s holiday meal for 10, which is $58.08, or about $5.80 per person. That is 5% lower than last year, but still above pre-pandemic prices.
“Despite the encouraging momentum, a Thanksgiving meal is still 19% higher than it was in 2019, which highlights the impact inflation has had on food prices – and farmers’ costs – since the pandemic,” the Farm Bureau said in a news release.
Tasha Bunting, director of Commodity Programs with the Illinois Farm Bureau, said turkey prices have come down 6% as avian flu is not a major problem as it was just a few years ago.
“Fortunately, we are starting to see some of those areas rebound a little bit and we are not having those disease outbreaks hitting our turkey facilities like we had previously, so that’s definitely some good news,” said Bunting.
Also affecting the price of turkey is the fact that demand has dropped over the past year.
AFBF volunteer shoppers checked prices Nov. 1-7, before most grocery store chains began featuring whole frozen turkeys at sharply lower prices.
Most ingredients in the survey saw a decline in prices, including fresh vegetables. Officials said the drop in prices reflects price volatility in crops this year. The cost of whole milk dropped more than 14%. Favorable weather contributed to the decline in milk pricing.
Prices for bread-related items like stuffing and dinner rolls have increased over 8% due to higher labor costs.
Cranberry prices increased nearly 12% year-over-year. In 2023, cranberries had the second largest decrease in price of any products in AFBF’s basket at 18%. The increase this year puts cranberry prices closer to historic norms and, excluding last year, is the least expensive year since 2015.
This year’s national average cost was calculated using surveys completed with pricing data from all 50 states and Puerto Rico. Farm Bureau volunteer shoppers checked prices in person and online using grocery store apps and websites.
“We should all be thankful that we live in a country with such an abundant food supply,” said AFBF President Zippy Duvall. “We are seeing modest improvements in the cost of a Thanksgiving dinner for a second year, but America’s families, including farm families, are still being hurt by high inflation.”
