Turkey talk: how the pandemic might affect your Christmas dinner
Maritimers who haven’t purchased a holiday turkey yet might want to sooner rather than later.
Shortages are not expected this year, but with the pandemic, labour shortages, and high demand, choices might be limited if shoppers wait too long.
Industry experts say consumers need to practice patience when shopping for a turkey this season.
“I went to the grocery store myself this weekend, I couldn’t find one,” says Dalhousie Food Distribution & Policy Professor Sylvain Charlebois. “It doesn’t mean that we’re running short. It’s just because consumer demand is a bit erratic these days. People react to news, they react to variants.”
Charlebois says plan ahead.
The cost of a turkey is expected to be 13 to 14 per cent higher this year and smaller birds will likely be easier to find than bigger ones, because the industry planned for small gatherings.
“So if you go to the store and there are no turkeys, take that with a grain of salt, go back a few days later, you may actually find some birds,” Charlebois adds.
Navigating through the pandemic has been daunting for turkey farmers for several reasons.
There are labour challenges this year, and farmers need to predict what demand will look like months in advance.
“I’ll give you an example, I just came back from a meeting out west, and we’re setting what needs to be grown for next year 2022, and 2023,” explains Steven Eadie, director of the Turkey Farmers of Nova Scotia. “We’re finding there’s challenges out there already, for next year – we don’t know, I hate to say it, but we don’t know if this new variant will affect us, so there’s still lots of uncertainty out there.”
At Getaway Farmers & Butchers in Halifax, consumers are able to pre-order their Christmas turkeys online.
Owner Chris De Waal encourages everyone to support the local economy this holiday season and visiting a farmer or butcher in their community.
“The good news is there’s a lot of turkey in Nova Scotia,” he says. “So the big heavy birds, they get gobbled up pretty quick, as well as speciality products like certified free range, which by the way, we have a fantastic certified free range program in Nova Scotia.”
When it comes to the Christmas dinner fixings, don’t worry, those in food distribution say consumers should be able to find everything they need to host a safe and delicious turkey dinner this year.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
Expert warns of food consumption habits amid rising prices
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Ex-tabloid publisher testifies he scooped up possibly damaging tales to shield his old friend Trump
As Donald Trump was running for president in 2016, his old friend at the National Enquirer was scooping up potentially damaging stories about the candidate and paying out tens of thousands of dollars to keep them from the public eye.
Here's why provinces aren't following Saskatchewan's lead on the carbon tax home heating fight
After Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the federal government would still send Canada Carbon Rebate cheques to Saskatchewan residents, despite Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe's decision to stop collecting the carbon tax on natural gas or home heating, questions were raised about whether other provinces would follow suit. CTV News reached out across the country and here's what we found out.
Montreal actress calls Weinstein ruling 'discouraging' but not surprising
A Montreal actress, who has previously detailed incidents she had with disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, says a New York Court of Appeals decision overturning his 2020 rape conviction is 'discouraging' but not surprising.
Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye make it four NFL drafts with quarterbacks going 1-3
Caleb Williams is heading to the Windy City, aiming to become the franchise quarterback Chicago has sought for decades.