The cost for a traditional Thanksgiving dinner including turkey, stuffing, pumpkin pie and all the usual trimmings increased slightly this year, according to an informal survey of grocery store prices conducted by Indiana Farm Bureau.
The survey, which has been conducted annually in Indiana since 1993, indicated that the cost for this year's feast for 10 is $50.99 compared to $49.38 in 2011.
Indiana's survey data is factored into a national market basket survey coordinated by the American Farm Bureau Federation, and the national survey also recorded an increase, rising from $49.20 in 2011 to $49.48 in 2012.
“The cost of this year's meal is around $5 per person, so it's still a bargain,” said IFB Second Vice President Isabella Chism, who farms with her husband in Howard County. “It's been a very difficult year for Indiana farmers, but our farm families feel honored and blessed to be able to produce the bounty that is celebrated at Thanksgiving.”
Almost all of the increase (in both the Indiana and AFBF surveys) can be attributed to an increase in the cost for turkey. The Indiana survey indicated that turkey increased by 20 cents per pound for a total of $25.56 for a 16-pound bird.
