Getting ready to savor turkey and the trimmings on Thanksgiving? Here's some turkey trivia to share with those around your table.
Turkey meat production in the United States during January-September 2019 was 4.35 billion pounds, down about a quarter of a percent from a year earlier.
Top eight turkey-producing states:
- Minnesota - 42.0 million birds
- North Carolina - 32.5 million birds
- Arkansas - 31.5 million birds
- Indiana - 20.0 million birds
- Missouri - 19.0 million birds
- Virginia - 16.8 million birds
- Iowa - 11.9 million birds
- California - 11.0 million birds
U.S. total turkey production: 244.8 million birds
Price Statistics
Retail prices for frozen whole turkey:
- 2012 average: $1.62 per pound
- 2013 average: $1.65 per pound
- 2014 average: $1.60 per pound
- 2015 average: $1.51 per pound
- 2016 average: $1.55 per pound
- 2017 average: $1.58 per pound
- 2018 average: $1.50 per pound
Wholesale prices for frozen whole turkey hens:
- 2012 average: $1.06 per pound
- 2013 average: $1.00 per pound
- 2014 average: $1.08 per pound
- 2015 average: $1.16 per pound
- 2016 average: $1.17 per pound
- 2017 average: $0.96 per pound
- 2018 average: $0.80 per pound
- 2019 average: $0.89 per pound
Production Statistics
Value of turkey production:
- 2012: $5.45 billion
- 2013: $4.84 billion
- 2014: $5.30 billion
- 2015: $5.71 billion
- 2016: $6.18 billion
- 2017: $4.87 billion
- 2018: $3.88 billion
U.S. turkey meat production (ready-to-cook weight):
- 2012: 5.97 billion pounds
- 2013: 5.81 billion pounds
- 2014: 5.76 billion pounds
- 2015: 5.63 billion pounds
- 2016: 5.98 billion pounds
- 2017: 5.98 billion pounds
- 2018: 5.88 billion pounds
- 2019: 5.89 billion pounds (WASDE projection as of November 2019)
Consumption Statistics
U.S. domestic use of turkey:
- 2012: 5.03 billion pounds
- 2013: 5.07 billion pounds
- 2014: 5.05 billion pounds
- 2015: 5.14 billion pounds
- 2016: 5.38 billion pounds
- 2017: 5.35 billion pounds
- 2018: 5.29 billion pounds
- 2019: 5.30 (WASDE projection as of November 2019)
Trade Statistics
U.S. turkey meat exports:
- 2012: 797 million pounds
- 2013: 741 million pounds
- 2014: 775 million pounds
- 2015: 529 million pounds
- 2016: 569 million pounds
- 2017: 622 million pounds
- 2018: 611 million pounds
- 2019: 637 million pounds (WASDE projection as of November 2019)