In a difficult year for turkeys, retailers maintain low prices. Other Thanksgiving dishes might be more expensive.

Experts claim that wholesale turkey prices have increased significantly, but consumers getting ready for Thanksgiving might not notice the price increase because many supermarkets are selling turkeys at a discount to attract customers.

Chelsea, Michigan (AP) – This Thanksgiving season, Old Brick Farm, where Larry Doll raises ducks, turkeys, and chicks, was fortunate.

Despite an ongoing outbreak that killed over two million turkeys in the United States in only the last three months, Doll's little farm west of Detroit had no bird flu cases. Additionally, he escaped avian metapneumovirus, another illness that reduces turkey egg production.

Doll, whose farm has been in his family for five generations, stated, "I try to keep the operation as clean as possible, and not bringing other animals in from other farms helps mitigate that risk as well."

Thanksgiving costs vary

The U.S. Department of Agriculture predicts a 44% increase in wholesale turkey costs this year due to the declining population. To lessen the possible hit to Thanksgiving meal budgets, many supermarkets are offering turkeys at a discount or even for free despite the hike. The items needed to make the remainder of the Christmas feast might not be as inexpensive as they were last year, even if the turkey is. For instance, tariffs on imported steel have raised the cost of canned goods.

A basket of eleven Thanksgiving staples, such as a 10-pound frozen turkey, ten Russet potatoes, a box of stuffing, and cans of corn, green beans, and cranberry sauce, cost $58.81 as of November 17, which is 4.1% more than the previous year, according to Datasembly, a market research firm that conducts weekly price surveys at 150,000 U.S. stores. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average price rise for food consumed at home increased by 2.7% in September.

As of November 17, Datasembly revealed a 2% drop in the retail price of a 10-pound turkey. Thanksgiving meal pricing is not a precise science, and the company's figure was different from previous projections.

Thanksgiving dinner for ten would cost $55.16 this year, 5% less than last year, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation, which surveys costs using volunteer shoppers in all 50 states. Using NielsenIQ data from September, the Wells Fargo Agri-Food Institute calculated that feeding ten people on Thursday with store-brand products would cost $80 this year, which is 2% to 3% less than the estimate from the previous year.