As Thanksgiving approaches, North Carolina stands out as a key supplier of holiday staples like turkeys and sweet potatoes. This year promises to be favorable for consumers seeking these festive ingredients, thanks to the state’s robust agricultural output.
According to Jeffrey Dorfman, the Hugh C. Kiger Distinguished Professor of Agricultural and Resource Economics at North Carolina State University, turkey prices have experienced a slight increase due to avian flu concerns. Yet, consumers might not feel the impact as expected.
“Grocery stores actually negotiate with the turkey companies in like January and February for the next fall’s Thanksgiving order,” Dorfman explains. “Then the grocery stores sell them at a loss in hopes that we’ll buy our pie crust and our pumpkin pie filling and the butter and everything else there.”
North Carolina’s dominance in sweet potato production, accounting for over half of the nation’s supply, is noteworthy. While last year’s hurricane-damaged crops led to challenges, this year’s harvest has shown improvement, resulting in potential price reductions for consumers.
Despite the positive outlook for agricultural prices this season, Dorfman notes that farmers are focusing on breaking even by 2025, eagerly anticipating more favorable commodity prices in the future.
