Washington – Schools that get turkey from the Agriculture Department are having to turn elsewhere this year for Thanksgiving lunches for students. There’s not enough for the lunch program that feeds 29 million kids.
The problem is not a shortage of birds. They’re just too skinny.
An unusually hot summer resulted in smaller turkeys. That means supplies are tight, which means prices are a bit higher.
“Even though we’ve put out word we want to buy turkey, they’re not selling it to USDA,” said Billy Cox, spokesman for the Agricultural Marketing Service.
Supermarkets generally get first dibs on turkey and other commodities.
When there is a surplus or prices are low enough, the Agriculture Department buys some and passes it along to government- subsidized food programs, such as school lunches.
While the department is not providing turkey, schools aren’t necessarily going without.
“We didn’t change the menu,” said Shirley Cox, food and nutrition director for Texarkana, Ark., public schools. “We just went ahead and bought turkey for 3,500 to 4,000 meals.”
The Agriculture Department’s commodity program gives food to schools; the amount is based on how many free and reduced-price lunches a school serves.
The National Turkey Federation said there is plenty of turkey available for the nation’s Thanksgiving.
“We do hope everybody will have the opportunity to have turkey at the table,” said Sherrie Rosenblatt, spokeswoman for the federation.
“Even with markets tight this year,” she said, “I’m sure there are other ways in which food banks or feeding programs are finding ways to provide.”
