BRYAN, Texas — Meat shops all over the U.S have had to make some changes in their Thanksgiving plans, including one local meat market.
Readfield Meat & Deli partner Richard Ruffino of Ruffino Meats and Food Service described how he's managing the turkey inflation crisis, saying "we have had a little bit of trouble getting product and we've had to turn to other sources, but we were able to get product. The prices are stronger than they were last year due to the lower supply."
The crisis began this past spring when a flu outbreak caused many turkeys to get infected, creating a shortage of birds to bring to people's tables. Additionally, inflation has run its own course on farmers, with the high supply costs from feed, fertilizer and labor making raising turkeys more expensive.
According to the Texas Farm Bureau, the tighter supply of turkeys has caused an 18% price jump, the highest price turkeys have been since Thanksgiving 2015.
"Well our price increase has been anywhere from 30-50 cents a pound. We have had to make the increase but people are still buying." Ruffino explained.
Inflation in the U.S has increased retail food prices in grocery stores, but despite the conditions, this Bryan shop will continue to have turkeys flying off the shelves this Thanksgiving.