Looking forward to a turkey dinner this Thanksgiving? It may cost you about a dollar more per pound than last year, according to the owner of Food Fare grocery stores.
Munther Zeid told 680 CJOB that although production is slightly down, demand remains stable, so prices are up.
Frozen turkeys, in particular, are harder to come by this year, he said.
“They’re not producing a lot of frozen at all — frozen is very limited. Some of the places out there, the big box stores that normally sell, at a set price, small, medium or large turkey, are now only offering one specific size, and the quantity is limited, too,” he said.
“They’re trying to keep as much as possible fresh.”
Zeid said despite the price increase, the turkeys have been selling as well as any other year — and that the province’s restrictions on gathering sizes don’t seem to be affecting Winnipeggers’ demand for the festive foul.
“It seems like turkeys and hams are moving very well, but supply is limited on the turkeys especially.
“Customers are buying what they want. People are still buying, our orders are coming in as normal. The price doesn’t (seem to) matter right now.”
The new public health orders, which went into effect Tuesday, mean some families will have to decide between a large Thanksgiving dinner with a fully vaccinated group or a smaller turkey dinner with an unvaccinated guest.
Under the new rules, indoor household gatherings will be limited to guests from one other household when an eligible but unvaccinated person is on the property.