Thanksgiving may be later in November this year, but farmers, agriculture economists and home cooks alike are already preparing for the feast.
Ahead of the annual pre-turkey day report from the Wells Fargo Agri-Food Institute, Dr. Michael Swanson — the team’s chief agricultural economist — shared some early pricing insights with ABC’s Good Morning America about what to expect while menu planning.
For the main event, turkeys are expected to cost 16% less than last year. For hosts who prefer pork to poultry, ham prices are up 5.2%.
Thanksgiving food can draw mixed reviews for which dish reigns supreme on the dinner table, but most seem to agree that the meal is really all about the sides, which repeatedly shows up in the top search terms online.
This year, some of those staple ingredients could prove more pricey.
According to Swanson, the price of sweet potatoes has risen 4% and russet potatoes, which are typically in high demand for dishes like mashed or potatoes au gratin, are at an all-time high, up 14%.
While some may steer their shopping cart to the canned goods aisle for Thanksgiving dishes, this may be the year to consider buying fresh.
Canned green beans are up by nearly 9% and canned pumpkin prices jumped 30% compared to last year.
Swanson told GMA that “labor and transportation” are among the key factors driving up prices on these popular foods.
“Those are the two big things that just don’t get any cheaper anytime soon,” he explained.