Cost of a Thanksgiving Dinner Could Climb by as Much as 9% This Year

A report released this week by Louisiana State University’s AgCenter found that the price of items in a Thanksgiving dinner is likley to be up overall by 9%,

The LSU AgCenter report found that the market basket in Baton Rouge would average $40.64, up $3.12 from last year’s average of $37.52.


LSU AgCenter’s family economist Jeanette Tucker said in the report that the turkey was the big cause, with a 16-pound bird costing roughly $16.28, or about $1.02 a pound in Louisiana -- 18 cents per pound more than last year.

The Louisiana survey was based on an American Farm Bureau Federation shopping list that includes turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, rolls with butter, peas, cranberries, a relish tray of carrots and celery, pumpkin pie with whipped cream and beverages of coffee and milk, all in quantities sufficient to serve a group of 10.


The cost of a 16-pound turkey at $16.28, or roughly $1.02 per pound, reflects an increase of 18 cents per pound or a total increase of $2.81 per turkey. "This is the largest contributor to the overall increase in the cost of the 2010 Thanksgiving dinner," Tucker said.

Other items that showed a price increase include three pounds sweet potatoes, $2.66 (up 45 cents); 12-ounce cubed stuffing mix, $2.84 (up 41 cents); 12- ounce bag of fresh cranberries, 2.85 (up 33 cents); one gallon of whole milk, $4.07 (up 19 cents); 30-ounce pumpkin pie mix, $2.73 (up 5 cents); and 16-ounce frozen green peas, $1.31 (up 2 cents).


Items showing a price decrease this year include 12-ounce brown and serve rolls, $1.63 (down 50 cents); two 9-inch pie shells, $2.15 (down 29 cents); and 8 ounces of whipping cream, $1.62 (down 16 cents).