November 2021
Americans can expect to spend more at the grocery store this year on turkeys, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pies. According to a recent survey done by the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), Thanksgiving dinner costs are up 14%. The survey indicated that this year’s Thanksgiving meal for 10 will cost $53.51 or less than $6 per person, an increase of $6.41 from last year’s average of $49.60. AFBF conducted the survey from Oct. 26 through Nov. 8.
According to the Agricultural Marketing Service data, grocery stores began advertising lower prices later than usual. Fortunately, shoppers will notice that the price per pound of frozen turkeys has decreased by 18% since the time the survey was conducted. AFBF Senior Economist Veronica Nigh said that “several factors have contributed to the increased cost of Thanksgiving dinner.”
Dramatic disruptions to the U.S. economy and supply chains over the last 20 months; inflationary pressure throughout the economy; difficulty in predicting demand during the COVID-19 pandemic and high global demand for food, particularly meat,” she explained further. Survey items included turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, rolls with butter, peas, cranberries, a veggie tray, pumpkin pie with whipped cream and coffee and milk.