Special to The News

A traditional, Texas-style Thanksgiving dinner for 10 will cost $48.49 this year, up $2.41 from a year ago, according to the special Texas Farm Bureau Thanksgiving Meal Report.

The survey records the cost of 10 holiday staples — including turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce and pecan pie.

Turkey prices led the increase, with a 16-pound turkey ringing in at $19.74. The cost of a turkey in Texas stores, however, is still lower than the national average of $21.71 for a 16-pound bird, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation’s food price survey.

Turkey production has slowed this year, which is reflected in the cost at the grocery store.

Dairy products saw a decrease in price due to an ample supply of milk.

Of the 10 items surveyed, shelled and halved pecans, brown and serve rolls, jellied cranberry sauce and frozen green beans showed small increases.

Cubed stuffing and frozen pie shells decreased in price this year. Fresh sweet potatoes had no change from 2017.

“Although the overall Thanksgiving meal cost increased slightly this year, the items needed for a traditional Thanksgiving dinner are still affordable for consumers,” Texas Farm Bureau President Russell Boening said. “Farmers across Texas and the U.S. work to provide abundant and affordable food products throughout the year, not just at Thanksgiving.”

TFB’s Thanksgiving Meal Report and Grocery Price Watch prices were reported by 45 volunteer shoppers at grocery stores statewide from Nov. 2-9.

TFB has released its informal Grocery Price Watch survey quarterly since March 2009.