Despite Inflation, Thanksgiving Dinner Cheaper in La. than US Average

By Avery J. Davidson

Louisiana Farm Bureau News

Baton Rouge, La. — Bring your friends and family back home to Louisiana for Thanksgiving dinner this year, because it will be cheaper for them to enjoy turkey and all the trimmings here than the national average. 

According to a statewide sample of prices for the 36th annual American Farm Bureau Federation Thanksgiving Dinner Price Survey, Louisiana residents can expect to spend $11.31 less than the national average for a Thanksgiving dinner for ten people. That dinner consists of 14 main items, including a turkey, bone-in ham, veggie tray, pumpkin pie and sweet potatoes, along with the cost for miscellaneous ingredients like eggs, flour and evaporated milk.

The average cost for those items in Louisiana is $57.41. The national average according to the American Farm Bureau is $68.72, which is $8.61 higher than last year’s national average.

“I know lots of folks are worried about supply chain issues and inflation,” said Louisiana Farm Bureau President Jim Harper. “But the hardworking farmers and ranchers in Louisiana make sure we have the most affordable, safest and most abundant food in the world. Despite the rising prices you see at the grocery story, the farmer’s share remains only a small fraction of what you pay.”

This year, the farmer’s share of Thanksgiving dinner in Louisiana is only $4.59. 

The overall cost for Thanksgiving dinner may be less in Louisiana, but shoppers here can expect to pay 91 cents more than the national average for a gallon of milk and 38 cents more for cranberries. However, Louisiana shoppers pay considerably less than the national average for the turkey and sweet potatoes. The average price in Louisiana for a 16 pound turkey is $5.15 less than the national average and Louisiana shoppers pay $1.11 less for three pounds of sweet potatoes.

“Thanksgiving is such a special time for our family in Assumption Parish,” said Louisiana Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee Chair Michele Simoneaux. “We have the opportunity to give thanks for the hard work our neighbors have put into growing the sugarcane, sweet potatoes and raising the animals that make this feast possible and affordable.”

Here is a compiled list of the average price for each survey item from Louisiana.

  • Frozen, Self-Basting Young Tom Turkey, 16 lbs.: $18.84

  • Fresh Sweet Potatoes, 3 lbs.: $2.45

  • Cube Stuffing, 14 oz. package: $2.41

  • Enriched Brown & Serve Rolls, 12 oz./12 per package: $1.57

  • Veggie Tray (carrots and celery), 1 lb.: $.74

  • Whole Milk, 1 gal.: $4.21

  • Pumpkin Pie Mix, 30 oz. can: $2.93

  • Fresh Cranberries, 12 oz. package: $3.36

  • Whipping Cream, 1/2 pint carton: $1.58

  • Frozen Green Peas, 16 oz. package: $1.86

  • 9" Frozen Pie Shells, 2 per package: $2.45

  • Bone-In Ham, 4 lbs.: $7.53

  • Russet Potatoes, 5 lbs.: $2.22

  • Frozen Green Beans, 1 lb.: $1.81

  • Miscellaneous ingredients (Eggs, Flour, Evaporated Milk): $3.45

American Farm Bureau, Louisiana Farm BureauAvery Davidson