11/23/05 The cost of your Turkey Day meal

It's going to cost you a little more this year to put the turkey and all the trimmings on the table on Thanksgiving Day. LEIPTAG "You do get lower than average prices around Thanksgiving but when you compare year to year we may be two to three percent higher this year." That's US Department of Agriculture's Ephraim Leiptag says high energy costs following hurricanes Katrina and Rita get some of the blame. LEIPTAG "Higher energy prices are increasing transportation costs and the costs of doing business for food producers, especially fruits and vegetables. We seen in terms of both the crop damage and in higher energy and transportation costs so we see five or ten percent increases for some of the fruits and vegetables." So how did that all total up at the supermarket? LEIPTAG "One to three pennies more per pound for you turkeys. Potato prices are about five percent higher this year. That will probably carry over to sweet potatoes and the yams. Dairy products are lower mostly because last year dairy prices were very high. I think if you look year over year dairy prices will probably come in about similar to last year or maybe one or two percent lower." Cranberries should cost about the same as last year, bread is up about two percent, pasta and rice down about two percent. But you can't put a price on all that it is that we have to be thankful for this day and every day. Voice of Idaho Agriculture Bill Scott