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November 17, 2009

Anonymous The Joplin Globe Tue Nov 17, 2009, 07:14 PM CST

By Joe Hadsall

jhadsall@joplinglobe.com

At least one thing is less expensive in this awful economy. Even better, it’s something important.

The cost of a Thanksgiving dinner is cheaper this year, according to an annual survey by the Missouri Farm Bureau. A traditional dinner with all the trimmings, large enough to feed 10 and leave leftovers, will cost roughly $42.57 this year, which is $1.93 less than last year.

And the gravy? A local grocery store manager said prices are on a downward trend and should stay down through Christmas and into the new year.

“We haven’t seen turkey go down yet,” said Brooke Rentfro, manager of Food 4 Less in Joplin. “But everything else is dropping a little bit at a time.”

The drop is attributed to several factors, including crude oil prices, feed prices and general market conditions. Corinne Alexander, an agricultural economist with Purdue University, said the Consumer Price Index reports an average drop of 2.5 percent in food prices.

The Missouri Farm Bureau’s report is based on a survey conducted between Oct. 28 and Nov. 3. The survey’s shopping list included a 16-pound turkey, stuffing made with preseasoned cubes, 3 pounds of sweet potatoes, a 12-ounce package of cranberries, carrots, celery, frozen peas, brown-and-serve rolls, butter, two pumpkin pies, whipped cream, milk and coffee.

“We have a large volunteer base with members in every county,” Olsen said. “We ask them to shop as if they are shopping for their family, then record the prices.”

Among Thanksgiving staples:

• Turkey is generally thought to be less expensive. Olsen said a 16-pound turkey cost an average of $16.96 — about $1.06 a pound — which is $1.44 less than last year.

Outside of the survey, average prices range anywhere from 40 cents a pound, Olsen said, to as high as $2.99 a pound. Alexander said the USDA reports that the average per pound cost should be around 81 to 85 cents a pound, which is down from 87 cents last year.

Rentfro said she hasn’t seen that drop yet, however. The main reason is because the turkeys available from warehouses now were bought when feed prices were up. Once those turkeys have been sold, the lower-priced ones will be available.

“If not by Thanksgiving, then for Christmas,” Rentfro said.

Olsen said it’s not just feed, but total energy prices that contribute to the higher price of turkeys.

“Turkeys are grown in confinement, they have to be transported, processed and packaged,” Olsen said. “All that adds to the cost.”

• Cranberries should be plentiful — Alexander said that producers are expecting the second-largest crop on record.

“Whenever we talk about record crops or near-record crops, we’re talking about downward price pressure,” Alexander said.

But Olsen reported an 8-cent increase in cranberries from last year.

• Sweet potatoes, as well as all other vegetables, decreased in price, Olsen said. But Alexander said that the USDA reports a 10-percent increase in sweet potato prices — largely because of Hurricane Gustav hitting Louisiana, a major producer of the veggie.

• Pumpkin pie mix is also cheaper, Olsen said. Rentfro said that even though the price is good, it may not be easier to get, thanks to a recent shortage.

“The price is OK, but the allocation is tough,” Rentfro said. “We can only get a certain amount at a time.”

Though the average prices are down, shoppers can reduce the price further with smart shopping, Rentfro said.

“There are items that can reduce the overall cost,” Rentfro said. “If you choose generic brands, you can feed a family of four for $20.”

Local officials with Dillon’s and Price Cutter referred the Globe to their corporate offices; calls to those offices requesting comment were not returned.

Olsen said that the Missouri Farm Bureau’s survey leaves plenty of room for shoppers to bargain hunt.

“There’s no guarantee that our shoppers are choosing generics,” Olsen said. “We also do the survey enough to miss the sales beforehand.”

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