Corn, Fuel Prices Drive Up Prices of Turkeys

Consumers may find the price of fresh or frozen turkey has increased for this year’s Thanksgiving Day. Driving the increases are greater competition for feed corn used in turkey production and higher fuel costs, forcing turkey farmers to pass on the increased costs. The growth of ethanol plants, which use feed corn as their source of production, has boosted the cost of feeding the birds by 35 percent, according to the National Turkey Federation. Turkey prices for shoppers should be about a dime higher per pound than last year, and about 20 cents or more per pound higher for premium, free-range turkeys.

(Toledo Blade, November 14, 2007)