The American Farm Bureau’s 40th annual Thanksgiving Dinner cost survey shows another drop this year.

Iowa Farm Bureau Research Director Christopher Pudenz says the survey checks the prices of 12 items each year. “The total cost came in at $55.18, which is a total decline of five percent from 2024,” he says.

Half the items went down in cost, including the centerpiece turkey. “It dropped 16% from 2024, or it dropped from $25.67 cents last year to $21.0 this year,” Pudenz says. Turkey prices have been impacted by avian influenza and supply issues in past years. He says this year it appears the bird is being used as an incentive to shoppers. “One of the things that seems to have happened this year is that retailers seem to have realized that folks are feeling a pinch in their pocketbooks,” h

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