You may have a harder time finding a turkey this holiday season
This time of year brings families together, and a big part of that celebration is the meal. But there are clear signs a staple for most holiday meals will be harder to find this year.
"Everything was good, orders were promised and then they were taken away," said Rick Orr of the Butcher Shop in Brockville, Ont.
Orr said he put an order in for around 400 turkeys in September, but his supplier said they couldn't meet the demand in the popular 19 to 24-pound range.
"That pulls out over 100 birds from that category," Orr said. "We did buy some ones in the smaller categories, but that's not what everybody wants."
Brian Ricker with Turkey Farmers of Ontario says the pandemic has played a big role, disrupting the industry's supply chain.
"It's really unfortunate that the private butcher shops have seemed to have suffered the most," Ricker told CTV News Ottawa.
The industry's turkey stocks are sitting at a 30-year low.
"That's a little lower than what we would feel is comfortable," Ricker said. "The reason that we decreased was that when COVID started we had an over supply, we were at highest stock levels, almost unprecedented stock levels, of whole birds and boneless skinless breast meat."
Customers at the Butcher Shop in Brockville on Tuesday. (Nate Vandermeer/CTV News Ottawa)
With restaurants closed, and less demand at deli counters, processors asked to reduce production.
"So when we cut production at the beginning of COVID, we thought we did the right thing," added Ricker. "However, people actually ate more whole turkeys than we were anticipating because they couldn't go out to eat so they decided 'Oh, lets buy a turkey and eat at home.'"
That means customers may need to find alternatives for their festive meals this year.
"If we had to, yeah, go with a ham probably. I could do a prime rib," said Butcher Shop customers Ken and Marci Barkley.
"I mean, we always have turkey every year, so I guess I better get my turkey soon if I can," added customer Leah Clifford.
While turkey production did increase over the summer, the industry is still trying to meet demand.
"It’s really hard to spread those birds out evenly to each retail outlet," Ricker said.
"It's a big scramble to see who's getting what and we're trying to do the best we can," added Orr, who has been offering alternatives for customers who might not get a turkey this year.
"I'd probably sooner have the prime rib, but turkey seems to be what people are used to," he said.
Ricker said turkey production is increasing, but producers are careful to match supply with demand.
"We think there's enough turkeys to get people through Christmas, but they just may have to go to a second store for one," he added. "Some retail outlets will be short of birds, and some will have extra birds just because the ebb and flow of this supply situation."
Ricker added the recent flooding in B.C. did not affect the situation in Ontario, where farmers annually produce more than five million pounds of whole turkeys for Christmas.
"We hope that you'll find some type of turkey product to make your festive season go well this Christmas," he said.
The Barkeys said the possible lack of turkey won’t ruin their holiday season.
"Heck no," Ken said. "It's not about the meal, it's about the family."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
BREAKING Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
A fight to protect the dignity of Michelangelo's David raises questions about freedom of expression
Michelangelo's David has been a towering figure in Italian culture since its completion in 1504. But in the current era of the quick buck, curators worry the marble statue's religious and political significance is being diminished.
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.
China's latest EV is a 'connected' car from smart phone and electronics maker Xiaomi
Xiaomi, a well-known maker of smart consumer electronics in China, is joining the country's booming but crowded market for electric cars.