CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The USDA estimates wholesale frozen turkeys will cost about $1.31 per pound, up from 94 cents per pound last year. The price increase stems from reduced turkey production after avian flu hit farms nationwide.
"You have less turkey in the market or in the farms to start with and then losing 3 or 4 million in 2025," said Dr. Hisham Abdelrahman, assistant professor of life sciences and veterinarian at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.
The highly contagious virus can devastate entire operations quickly once it enters a farm.
"Once the virus enters the turkey farm, it can destroy the entire farm in a day or two," Abdelrahman said.
According to the USDA, avian flu hit two commercial farms last year and at the beginning of this year. The virus spreads rapidly among turkey populations.
"One infected turkey can infect up to 25 other turkeys," Abdelrahman said.
Despite the wholesale price increases, local retailers report they are managing inventory without major shortages. H-E-B said in a statement they are not experiencing a shortage, and their "limit one per person" policy is a yearly occurrence.
FULL STATEMENT:
H-E-B is not experiencing a shortage and will have strong supply of turkeys for the holiday season. We usually have this limit in place around this time each year, and it coincides with our turkey promotion. Currently, we are running a multi-week promotion where customers can buy an H-E-B Spiral Ham and get a free Frozen Riverside Turkey (up to 12 pounds). Again, we are not experiencing a turkey shortage. We have plenty of supply.
Their Butterball turkey currently sells for 97 cents per pound, the same price found at Walmart.
However, local meat markets are feeling the impact more directly. Terry Moench, co-owner of Moody's Meat Market, said his wholesale costs have increased significantly.
"That price that I've gotten right now is 28% more what it was last year. Our cost," Moench said.
Moody's will raise their fresh turkey prices by 30 cents this year to $3.29 per pound. Moench explained that big box stores can afford to sell turkeys at lower margins.
"Companies will sell a turkey at below cost in order to bring you in and then they sell you all their other goods," Moench said.
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