Turkeys, Christmas trees in short supply in Saskatoon
Saskatoon residents planning a turkey dinner had better gobble up their supplies soon.
"We're definitely, seeing, from talking to providers, talking to different sources, that turkeys will be shorted in western Canada," said Boryski's Butcher Block owner Andrew Boryski.
Some stock Boryski's was supposed to receive is being diverted to help British Columbia residents affected by flooding.
"There's definitely less supply than last year and the year before," said co-administrator for Turkey Farmers Of Saskatchewan Cinthya Wiersma.
"I think most of it is the impact of COVID in the food sector."
According to Wiersma, producers decreased their production due to restaurants, food service markets and deli counters in grocery stores shutting down.
Since businesses were able to fully reopen this summer, demand has since gone back up for turkeys, increasing producers' production.
"It's just going to take a little bit of time to hit the market," said Wiersma.
While some stores, such as Costco, should have more turkey come Dec. 16, Boryski recommends people consider alternatives such as ham or prime rib this holiday season.
As for another holiday staple, Dutch Growers says it’s experiencing a shortage in Christmas trees.
"I think everyone should be able to hopefully get one. Just don't delay, probably get it earlier," said owner Nikki Van Duyvendyk.
Van Duyvendyk says the shortage is caused by a crop failure from a few years ago, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Because of the pandemic, we are finding that more people are wanting live Christmas trees in their houses."
It recommends people pick them up early, and if they're not ready to set them, cut off the end of the trunk to sustain the tree’s longevity.
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