(Calgary) Holiday turkeys will cost more and be harder to find this year due to supply chain challenges affecting Canada’s agriculture industry.
Farmers say turkey supplies are at their lowest for 30 years. The supply managed poultry industry cut production last year due to uncertainties in demand during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The catastrophic flooding in British Columbia resulted in the closure of highways and affected the transportation of all kinds of goods, including turkeys. An unknown number of poultry also died when farms and barns were flooded.
Brian Ricker of an Ontario Turkey Farmers Association says some butchers are having trouble filling their orders. Some retailers may be running out of turkey stocks.
Ricker believes there is no need to panic, but Canadians may have to visit more than one store to find the perfect holiday turkey.
Turkey prices have also skyrocketed due to the extreme drought last summer which affected the price of feed wheat and grains.