And while some are getting a head start on their Christmas shopping, Louisiana Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain you should also get a jump on your Thanksgiving shopping list too. Strain said the spread of the bird flu across the country is limiting the supply.
“Now is the time to go ahead and get that turkey, put it in the freezer. Because of Avian influenza, you can expect smaller turkeys, and maybe a little more expensive than before,” said Strain.
As for the impact, the bird flu has had on Louisiana, Strain said fortunately it hasn’t been detected in commercial flocks here.
“But we’ve probably lost 11 million turkeys across the United States, more than 30 million chickens. But it’s something we’re going to have to contend with,” said Strain.
And there’s another Thanksgiving staple that’s fallen victim to the economy. Due to the dollar being more valuable than the Euro, Strain said sweet potato farmers aren’t able to export overseas as they have in the past.
“What that means is that we’ve got sweet potatoes backing up, the issue that I’m dealing with with my farmers, is that they’re being told that there’s not a sufficient outlet for their sweet potatoes. So how do we remedy that? Real simple, buy Louisiana sweet potatoes,” said Strain.
Besides Thanksgiving, Strain also recommended adding sweet potatoes to your crawfish boil.
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