Thanksgiving Day food prices are the lowest in five years, survey says

If there is one thing to be thankful for this Thanksgiving, its the lower cost of your turkey and side dishes.

An informal survey by the America Farm Bureau Federation found that the average price for a Thanksgiving Day meal for 10 costs $49.12, a decline of 75 cents. It’s the lowest price in five years.

Several factors go into the lower costs, including a large inventory of turkeys and increased production of milk.

The survey’s big-ticket item – a 16-pound turkey – was $22.38 this year. That’s about $1.40 per pound, a drop of 2 cents per pound, or a total of 36 cents per whole turkey, compared to 2016.

The Farm Bureau’s shopping list included turkey, bread stuffing, sweet potatoes, rolls with butter, peas, cranberries, a veggie tray, pumpkin pie with whipped cream, and coffee and milk. It’s enough to serve a family of 10 with plenty for leftovers.

A few items went up slightly in price, including a half-pint of whipping cream (up about 4 percent due to increased demand for full-fat dairy products, the farm bureau said), a 14-ounce package of cubed bread stuffing and a 30-ounce can of pumpkin pie mix.

Along with paying less overall, you can also thank Fresno County farmers and ranchers who produce many of the food items that will be on our Thanksgiving dinner tables.

“The San Joaquin Valley grows a cornucopia array of fruits, vegetables, nuts, meats, milk and fiber products that take center stage this time of year,” said Fresno County Farm Bureau chief executive officer Ryan Jacobsen. “This region should take tremendous pride in what we do to feed our nation.”

This story was originally published November 20, 2017 at 12:36 PM with the headline "Thanksgiving Day food prices are the lowest in five years, survey says."