Talking Turkey

Turkey production has increased nearly 110 percent since 1970 - the total value of turkey processors' production in 2011 reached $17.8 billion. U.S. growers raised 240.0 million turkeys in 2013.

The most popular turkey product continues to be the whole turkey, comprising less than a quarter of all sales. However, many turkey products are tailor-made for today's consumers. As a result, several other turkey products are closing in on the whole bird's dominance in the marketplace. Ground turkey has experienced the largest sales growth among consumers in the last decade.

The top three turkey products sold in 2011 were whole birds, ground turkey, and cooked white meat (deli meat). Raw products, especially breast cuts, such as tenderloins and cutlets, also are seeing an increase in sales. In 2011, the average retail price for whole frozen turkeys in the United States was $1.58 per pound. The average person in the United States ate 16.1 pounds of turkey in 2011.

Exports

In 2012, 800 million pounds were exported. Exports now comprise more than 13 percent of total turkey production, compared with 1.2 percent in 1990. In 2010, the top four export markets for U.S. turkey meat were Mexico (399.0 million pounds), China (82.9 million pounds), Hong Kong (37.9 million pounds) and Canada (22.7 million pounds).

Top Turkey Producing States
Minnesota
North Carolina
Arkansas
Indiana
Missouri
Virginia
California
South Carolina
Pennsylvania
Ohio

(via National Turkey Federation)