The American Farm Bureau estimates that the cost of a Thanksgiving dinner for ten people will be $61.17 this year, down 4.5% from last year’s record-high cost of $64.05.
The dinner includes a 16-pound turkey, 14 ounces of cube stuffing, 12 ounces of cranberries, 3 pounds of sweet potatoes, a half-pound of carrots and celery, 16 ounces of green peas, two pie shells, 30 ounces of pumpkin pie mix, a gallon of milk and a pint of cream.
The AFB, a non-profit lobbying group founded in 1919, said the decrease in the overall price is driven by a drop in the price of the meal’s expensive component. “Traditionally, the turkey is the most expensive item on the Thanksgiving dinner table,” said AFB Senior Economist Veronica Nigh. “Turkey prices have fallen thanks to a sharp reduction in cases of avian influenza, which have allowed production to increase in time for the holiday.”
