Price spikes and turkey shortages are making it harder for millions across the U.S. to enjoy Thanksgiving, reports The Guardian. Experts indicate that decreased supplies of the meat, coupled with inflated costs can lead to pricier, smaller turkeys if they can be obtained at all.
The decreased turkey supply is partially due to an outbreak of avian flu that was detected in Indiana in February and has infected poultry in at least 46 states, as well as in Europe and Canada. The Washington Post reported that over 6 million turkeys have died as a result of the flu, making up three percent of the country’s turkey production.
On the other hand, the price of a turkey has increased, on average, almost $5, equating to a 21 percent increase from 2021, as found by Axios.
The compounding issues have found their way into food banks, as fewer supplies are being donated to families in need.
“The amount of food that is donated right now into the charitable food system does not meet the demand for food assistance,” Katie Fitzgerald, president of the non-profit Feeding America, told The Guardian. “Food banks really had a lot of support through the pandemic, with government assistance. A lot of those funds are drying up.” Full Story
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