(Bloomberg) -- One of the worst-ever outbreaks of avian influenza in the U.S. is pushing up the price of turkey, adding to already rampant meat inflation.
More than 2 million turkeys have been lost so far in the U.S. since the outbreak began in mid-January, according to Steiner Consulting Group, or about half what is typically slaughtered in a week.
“It's been painfully obvious way before avian influenza came into view that supplies of turkey were going to be extremely tight this year,” Russ Whitman, senior vice president at commodity researcher Urner Barry, said Tuesday by phone.
Turkey prices were already high due to disruptions during the pandemic, and now they're set to rise even further. That has buyers already vying for supplies for the U.S. Thanksgiving Day holiday in November that often features a whole turkey as a centerpiece, Whitman said.
Overall, bird flu has been confirmed in flocks comprising over 22 million birds including broilers and egg-laying hens in 24 U.S. states, making it the worst outbreak since the record losses of over 50 million birds in 2015, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data. In addition to turkey, egg prices in particular have also been rising due to losses from bird flu.
Read more: Bird Flu Impact on U.S. Poultry Exports Is Muted, USDA Head Says
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