Will There Be A Thanksgiving Turkey Shortage In South Dakota?

This year's Thanksgiving table could look a bit different this year. There are signs that there could be a shortage of Thanksgiving Turkeys for 2021.

This year for your Thanksgiving meal you may want to consider, duck, chicken, or beef instead of traditional Turkey.

If you've been in Sioux Falls area grocery stores you may have noticed few or no turkeys available in their coolers. Is this indeed a supply chain issue?

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According to Business Insider, there was a decrease in Turkey production last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Because there were far fewer large Thanksgiving holiday gatherings there was much less demand for larger turkeys. People were searching out small birds for their more meager Thanksgiving Day celebrations.

Also, turkey farmers like so many other businesses are experiencing labor shortages. Fewer workers mean less ability to raise larger flocks of birds.

It may also be difficult this year to find a bird size from 8 -16 pounds or smaller. And experts are predicting fresh turkeys will be in short supply this year.

And if you can find the bird you like you can expect to pay more per pound.

Wells Fargo analysts are saying,  “The turkey price in 2021 is starkly higher compared to prior years. Late September turkey prices this year are running nearly 25% more than the prior year, and nearly 50% higher than a prior five-year average. In other words, a whole turkey for this holiday season is going to cost you nearly double what it did just a couple of years ago.”