October 31 Coronavirus pandemic situation, Thanksgiving celebrations have been greatly reduced, and family gatherings of American people have shrunk, putting turkey farmers and grocers in a bad situation.
According to the New York Post, governments across the United States have banned travel and large indoor gatherings. It is expected that millions of Americans will reduce celebrations during Thanksgiving.
American turkey farmers and food vendors cannot predict that people will be at the holiday table. what do you want. .
Kroger, the largest food chain in the United States, said that although the company is buying more turkeys this year than ever before, it expects consumer demand for alternatives to increase.
A farmer who raises a traditional breed of turkey also said that she has been thinking about the impact of the epidemic on Thanksgiving for the past six months. She thought that customers would want smaller birds, so in addition to turkey, she also prepared more chickens and ducks.
The United States usually consumes 40 million turkeys on Thanksgiving Day, about 30% of which are sold by the American Butterball Company. The company said it expects more Thanksgiving gatherings this year, but it is not sure whether people will like smaller turkeys.
Affected by the anti-epidemic and quarantine regulations, the family gatherings of American people will be reduced or cancelled, and the consumption demand for the entire large turkey will also be reduced.
According to the report, interest in turkeys has been declining, partly due to the price increase during the bird flu five years ago. Nielsen data shows that consumers are looking for alternatives, and turkey sales have been declining during Thanksgiving.
In November 2019, Americans spent 643 million US dollars on turkey, down 3.5% year-on-year, spending on beef increased 4% year-on-year, and spending on alternatives such as plant-based meat doubled, reaching 12 million US dollars.
Mark Jordan, executive director of LEAP Market Analytics Consulting in Arkansas, believes that the uncertainty of Thanksgiving demand will have a great impact on the grocery industry.
Richard Calcott raises 2,000 Christmas turkeys every year. He bought turkey chicks in February and March of this year. When the pandemic restrictions began to be implemented, it was too late for him to switch to raising smaller breeds of turkey.
He adjusted their diet, and each turkey lost about 2.2 pounds when preparing to go to market. “For many people, this year is a very difficult year,”
