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Turkey industry sees opportunity as consumers feel beef price pressure

The turkey industry is paying close attention to competition from other proteins.

Minnesota Turkey Growers Association executive director Ashley Kohls says beef demand is strong despite high retail prices.

“If you are a beef producer right now you are loving life, but it’s reflective of what consumers are also seeing in the grocery store. So is there opportunity for turkey to position itself as kind of a center of the plate protein in an environment in a grocery store where the price pressure may lean in our favor.”

She tells Brownfield there have been fewer cases of highly pathogenic avian flu so far this year.

“Are we figuring out our disease issues enough to have the supply chain that we haven’t had for the past couple of years, which has lead to issues with being that center of the plate.”

Kohls says checkoff investments are supporting research into consumer behavior and ways to grow turkey demand.