There is a turkey shortage at sandwich shops, meat markets and grocery stores across the United States. If you’ve seen a price increase in your favorite turkey sandwich or turkey dish, blame the recent avian influenza, known as the “bird flu” outbreak.
Store managers admit the shortage, caused after the “bird flu” killed millions of turkeys, could continue.
On “freaky fast” sandwich giant Jimmy John’s website, the company explains a nationwide outbreak of avian influenza, which wiped out 40 million turkeys and chickens, hit their supply chain especially hard.
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The turkey shortage is also noticeable at butcher shops, grocery stores and specialty food stores.
The disease this spring destroyed about 30.3 million egg-laying chickens in Iowa and about 1.1 million turkeys. Nationally, about 42 million layers and 7.5 million turkeys were killed.
The turkey breasts there are small because farmers, desperate to get some kind of product to market, slaughtered younger, smaller turkeys.
With the turkey supply being low, prices have gone up.
Turkey breast last month cost $1.90 a pound. Today, is $2.29. Next month’s estimate: $2.59.
Other turkey prices are also affected: Boxes of turkey burgers were $7.99 in June, now they’re $8.99.
Egg prices more than doubled with the outbreak but have retrenched at still high prices.
Midwest shell egg prices were around $2.30 a dozen this month, said Brian Moscogiuri, a market reporter at…