Cheaper Bird Keeps U.S. Thanksgiving Dinner Cost in Check

(Bloomberg) --

The Thanksgiving meal could end up costing Americans a bit more this year, but thanks to a drop in turkey, the average bill for the traditional dinner for 10 is up by just 1 penny at $48.91. That’s according to an annual survey from American Farm Bureau Federation, which estimates retail prices for the bird are down a little more than 4% from last year, hitting their lowest holiday-season level since 2010. That helps to offset increases in the cost of other ingredients, most notably sweet potatoes, up 11%.

To contact the reporter on this story: Mike Dorning in Washington at mdorning@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: James Attwood at jattwood3@bloomberg.net, Millie Munshi, Sophie Caronello

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