A significant decrease in the price of turkey contributed to a drop in the cost of a traditional Thanksgiving meal, according to Indiana Farm Bureau's annual "market basket" survey of Thanksgiving food prices.

The survey showed that the cost of 13 basic items found on the Thanksgiving Day dinner table decreased from $37.43 in 2003 to $34.91 in 2004. This is the lowest price recorded by the survey since 2000, when the cost of the meal averaged $34.87. IFB volunteers scattered around the state collect data for the survey at their local grocery stores.

Turkey dropped in price to 83 cents per pound, compared to $1.10 in 2003, which means that the price of a 17-pound turkey dropped from $18.17 to $14.11. This is the lowest price for this Thanksgiving staple since 1997, when turkey cost about 80 cents/pound, and it's identical to the price shoppers paid in 1995.

"Farm prices go up and down depending on supply and demand," said Carolyn Hegel, IFB second vice president. "Most people's income either continues to rise or stays the same. Low prices are wonderful for consumers, but may not be the best for farm families since they are often associated with lower farm income.

"In the United States, Americans really take the abundant food supply for granted, but Thanksgiving is a good time to remember what we do have, and that it all starts with farmers," Hegel said.

Corinne Alexander, assistant professor of agricultural economics at Purdue, predicted that there will be adequate supplies of turkeys this year. Turkey production is about equal to last year's levels. Indiana is the seventh-largest turkey producing state.

The shopping list for the survey includes, in addition to the 17-pound turkey, stuffing, potatoes, sweet potatoes, rolls, peas, cranberries, fresh carrots and celery for a relish tray, pumpkin pie with whipped cream, and milk - all in quantities sufficient for a meal to feed 10, plus those all-important leftovers.

In addition to turkey, decreases were recorded for rolls, which dropped from $2.66 for two dozen to $2.60 and 16 ounces of frozen peas, down by 8 cents to $1.16. In addition, two items were unchanged in price: 5 pounds of potatoes for $1.84 and 1 pound of sweet potatoes, 93 cents.

Increased production in North Carolina, Mississippi, Louisiana and California means that sweet potatoes should be abundant this season, Alexander said.

Eight items in the market basket increased in price, most by 10 or 20 cents but none by more than 50 cents: a 14-ounce bag of stuffing, increased by 49 cents to $2.47; a 30-ounce can of pumpkin pie mix, up by 10 cents to $1.17; two frozen pie shells, up 14 cents to $1.76; a 1-pound bag of carrots, up 12 cents to 81 cents; celery, up 15 cents to $1.34; 1 gallon of whole milk, up 34 cents to $2.84; cranberries, up 12 cents per 12-ounce bag to $1.75; and one-half pint whipping cream, which rose by 22 cents to $1.59.

The largest price increases are among dairy products, with butter prices up 28 percent and milk up 8 percent from 2003, Alexander said.

"These record-high dairy prices are the result of reduced supplies and continued strong demand, possibly due to the onslaught of high protein diets," she said.

The IFB survey was first conducted in 1993, when the average cost of a Thanksgiving meal for a family of 10 was $32.50. Average prices from each year the survey has been conducted are listed below.

1993 - $32.50 1999 - $37.77

1994 - $30.51 2000 - $34.87

1995 - $31.35 2001 - $37.72

1996 - $34.07 2002 - $38.62

1997 - $31.85 2003 - $37.43

1998 - $31.98 2004 - $34.91 [[In-content Ad]]