Covid-19 could turn the turkey business on its head this Thanksgiving
Retailers, meat processors, and turkey farmers are scrambling to figure out how to best adapt to a pandemic reality that’s expected to significantly upend traditional Thanksgiving rituals. Here’s what’s likely on the menu: Fewer large gatherings, more first-time cooks, and a lot of demand for pre-made, pre-portioned turkey parts in lieu of whole birds. Such projections are throwing a wrench into the plans of many growers, who began raising some of this year’s birds in January, the lead time required to grow the right range of differently sized turkeys based on past demand. The challenges are compounded for smaller growers, who may not have the infrastructure to break each bird down into parts, and who stand to lose a significant amount of revenue if they freeze their birds instead of selling them fresh. The Washington Post has the story.
