Turkey prices sky high!

[condobrit001]

What has happened to the price of turkeys this festive season? Villa Market is charging 6,800 Baht for a 20lb bird! This is three times the normal price! Supermarkets are gouging us on price this Christmas. Has anyone else had the same experience, or know why they are so expensive this year?

The same supermarket is also selling a very small tray of Brussel sprouts for 198 Baht! Eberneezer Scrooge would be proud!

[gerry123]

don't buy then simple choice

[chiang mai]

There's a ban on US turkeys because bird flu was found in a turkey farm in the US.

[HenryB]

This Thailand stop complaining and stop at Makro and buy dark meat chicken 62 baht a kilo or white meat skinless breast for 88 baht a kilo

I am trying to sell a watch brought in Costco for 80 dollars for 12,000 baht do you want to buy it with the Turkey from Villa

[condobrit001]

There's a ban on US turkeys because bird flu was found in a turkey farm in the US.

Clearly this is not the case. The turkey in question is US Norbest with production date of 22.11.15.

[condobrit001]

This Thailand stop complaining and stop at Makro and buy dark meat chicken 62 baht a kilo or white meat skinless breast for 88 baht a kilo

I am trying to sell a watch brought in Costco for 80 dollars for 12,000 baht do you want to buy it with the Turkey from Villa

I may be interested in the watch. Can you post a picture of it?

[KhunBENQ]

There's a ban on US turkeys because bird flu was found in a turkey farm in the US.

Clearly this is not the case. The turkey in question is US Norbest with production date of 22.11.15.

Maybe, but there was some problem and quite sure the very most of the birds are slaughtered and frozen long before Christmas time.

So this late date even shows the problem?

About half a dozen threads about turkey shortage in the forum (since months).

[chiang mai]

There's a ban on US turkeys because bird flu was found in a turkey farm in the US.

Clearly this is not the case. The turkey in question is US Norbest with production date of 22.11.15.

Clearly this is the case!

http://www.thebigchilli.com/news/turkey-shortages-looming-but-not-everyone-is-worried

Apologies, I posted a link I shouldn't have but I have now removed it. Interested parties can google the subject and read about it in the newspaper that cannot be named.

[lopburi3]

Actually there is a severe shortage of US turkey this year in US, as well as the world that it provides, due to very large culls that had to be done in many states - so what is available is mostly smaller birds and selling at premium prices.

[h90]

There's a ban on US turkeys because bird flu was found in a turkey farm in the US.

Clearly this is not the case. The turkey in question is US Norbest with production date of 22.11.15.

And how would that proof that there is no ban?

[dick turpin]

Got a kilo of frozen Waitrose brussel sprouts at Tops yesterday B179,

[apetley]

Got a kilo of frozen Waitrose brussel sprouts at Tops yesterday B179,

Highway robbery

[slipperylobster]

If you don't like Turkey...try something Russian....

[i claudius]

We got our duck today,sod Turkey,they are nothing but trouble anyway sending all the illegals to Greece ,sorry went off track there ,but got some nice parsnips in Villa

[yankee99]

There was no shortage of frozen turkeys in the usa for Thanksgiving and prices were about $1 a lbs or ฿75 a kilo.... Typical thai price gouging.... let your wallet do the talking

[chicowoodduck]

I just tie two chickens together and call it a turkey....same, same but better...????

[AlphMichaels]

Turkeys have been drafted into the US military as covers for drones. When in attack mode nobody can figure out in time that they're really drones before the missiles launch.

[TheCruncher]

Got a kilo of frozen Waitrose brussel sprouts at Tops yesterday B179,

Frozen Brussels sprouts, produced and packed in Belgium, are 79 Bht/kg at Makro.

[monkey4u]

Tiss the Season to stuff the Farangs who want Turkey

[Suradit69]

There's a ban on US turkeys because bird flu was found in a turkey farm in the US.

Clearly this is not the case. The turkey in question is US Norbest with production date of 22.11.15.

Maybe, but there was some problem and quite sure the very most of the birds are slaughtered and frozen long before Christmas time.

So this late date even shows the problem?

About half a dozen threads about turkey shortage in the forum (since months).

Yes, there definitely was a ban or restriction on imports for awhile and I think the West Coast dock strike added to the problem for some time and of course the dollar/baht exchange rate has hit all US exports here.

A 3 pound Butterball boneless turkey breast cost around Baht 750 last year, but the two I bought this October/November were around Baht 950 each and soon after that they vanished from the store freezers as people must have realized they'd be difficult to find this year.

If the bird seen by the O/P was processed at the end of November, it may have been flown into Thailand on a Business Class ticket that added to the price.

(Reuters) - Dozens of countries have imposed total or partial bans on U.S. poultry and poultry imports since an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) was discovered in December.

Each of the top 10 importers has introduced restrictions. Total bans have been imposed by China, South Korea and Angola, whose markets were valued at nearly $700 million last year.

More than 15.4 million meat-producing and egg-laying birds have been culled, and preliminary tests have identified likely cases in more than 5.5 million more birds. In the United States' largest outbreak in 1983 and 1984, 17 million birds were culled.

http://www.businessinsider.com/dozens-of-countries-are-banning-us-poultry-because-of-a-huge-bird-flu-outbreak-2015-4

[Suradit69]

There was no shortage of frozen turkeys in the usa for Thanksgiving and prices were about $1 a lbs or ฿75 a kilo.... Typical thai price gouging.... let your wallet do the talking

If you bought a whole turkey in a domestic US supermarket, it looks to have been around $1.44 per pound, but if they were shipping frozen goods from the US that were in Thai markets a few weeks after processing that would have added considerably to the cost here. Typically frozen turkey for the holiday season is slaughtered in the summer months.

The price of turkey this year is at its highest ever. But before you complain, consider yourself lucky: they were expected to be even higher.

An avian influenza outbreak that hit the Midwest earlier this year had industry watchers on edge, and that helped push prices higher. A 16-lb. turkey on average costs $23.04 this year, up from $21.65 in 2014, according to an informal survey of grocery-store prices by the American Farm Bureau Federation.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/thanksgiving-turkey-prices-hit-record-highs-but-you-should-still-be-thankful-2015-11-21

There was an article in a source that may not be quoted about a turkey import ban here that was imposed earlier in the year and commenting that domestic Thai turkey producers (yes, apparently some turkeys are produced in Thailand) were sold out long ago.

[AyG]

They can't be "sky high" - turkeys can't fly.

[slipperylobster]

I just tie two chickens together and call it a turkey....same, same but better...????

four drumsticks? hmmmmmmm.

[slipperylobster]

anyways...a nice "honey glazed" ham, criss crossed with cloves stuck in the crosses and pineapples/cherries attached...baked until crispy on the outside (and the center bone pulls out)......is my xmas fav.

[scorecard]

There's a ban on US turkeys because bird flu was found in a turkey farm in the US.

Clearly this is not the case. The turkey in question is US Norbest with production date of 22.11.15.

The ban was removed months ago.

Large trays of brussel sprouts at Foodland Ramkamhaeng Road yesterday - 51Baht a tray.

[NoshowJones]

Avoid Villa like the plague for western food. Foodland is better.

Example, tin of cornbeef Villa 265 Bt, same brand Foodland 179Bt.

[meatboy]

Got a kilo of frozen Waitrose brussel sprouts at Tops yesterday B179,

Frozen Brussels sprouts, produced and packed in Belgium, are 79 Bht/kg at Makro.

been eating these for 3yrs.not bad either,brand name TOMEX

[bazza40]

Why not save yourself all the angst of buying it and preparing/cooking; go to a hotel buffet instead? Most of them run to 500-1000 baht per person.

[louse1953]

don't buy then simple choice

Buy after xmas,when they are trying to unload them.Xmas is over rated.

[kiwiaussie]

Cripes. This thread sounds like a Bernard Trink column in the Bangkok Post. All that is missing is where to get Dinty Moores Beef stew for a few baht cheaper 20 miles across town, and where on Patpong the perverts can gather for happy hour.