Turkey Shortage This Thanksgiving? Butterball Faces Limits
Just ahead of Thanksgiving where turkey plays a central role, Butterball announced that they are facing a shortage of fresh birds that weigh 16 pounds or more.
Consequently, two weeks before Thanksgiving, the trusted turkey brand said it is only fulfilling 50 percent of their orders this year.
"We experienced a decline in weight gains on some of our farms, causing a limited availability of large, fresh turkeys," Butterball explained in a statement, according to ABC News. "We sincerely regret the inconvenience that some of our customers have experienced as a result of this issue.
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While Butterball cannot offer large turkeys this year, the brand does have an excessive amount of never-frozen smaller birds, weighing anywhere under 16 pounds.
According to its website, a 16-pound turkey can feed eight "big-eater" adults as well as eight children, and so customers can plan accordingly based on their individual needs.
Meanwhile, Butterball is the only turkey brand experiencing a shortage this year. Thanksgiving revelers can look to a slew of other brands as well as to frozen turkeys for their 2013 feast.
The national average of turkeys served on Thanksgiving in the U.S. is 16 pounds, creating a big problem for Butterball.
Furthermore, Butterball accounts for 16 percent of the entire U.S. market on Thanksgiving, and nearly one in every four turkeys sold on the holiday is a Butterball bird.
Making matters worse, the company has not yet identified what caused the failure of growth in its birds this year.
"While we are continuing to evaluate all potential causes, we are working to remedy the issue," Butterball said Thursday, according to Fox News.
Nevertheless, the company expects its production to return back to normal in time for Christmas.
News of a turkey shortage arrives just two weeks after a wine shortage was announced- France's Bordeaux region experiences one of its poorest harvests ever this year, according to Morgan Stanley.
