Turkey prices vary depending on the time of year: they decrease during Lent and rise towards the May holidays.

Starting from March 18, turkey prices will start to fall due to the onset of Lent, when the demand for meat in Russia traditionally decreases. However, from April 28, when the barbecue season and May holidays begin, turkey prices may rise by 5-10%, said Anatoly Velmatov, the executive director of the National Turkey Producers Association, in an interview with the "Parliamentary Newspaper". During this period, the demand for turkey meat increases due to its popularity in barbecues and kebabs, while during Lent, the demand, on the contrary, decreases, Velmatov explained. According to him, the fluctuation in turkey prices is a normal market fluctuation. Prices first rise and then decrease over a two-week period. Currently, no sharp price changes are expected for turkey, as Russian enterprises have a sufficient amount of feed, equipment, and veterinary drugs. However, compared to last year, turkey fillet prices have already increased on average by 15-20%. This is due to cost increases such as feed, sunflower oil, soy, packaging, electricity, and a 20-25% increase in wages, Velmatov noted. He also clarified that turkey imports are currently insignificant as domestic products are of higher quality and are more affordable. The demand for chilled turkey meat has increased, where domestic producers have no competitors. Albert Davleev, the President of Agrifood Strategies, noted that the beginning of the year is a difficult period for all meat producers, as prices decrease after the January holidays. This trend remains stable and sometimes worsens before the start of Lent and continues until Easter. He pointed out that this year, there is expected to be higher consumer activity leading up to the May holidays due to the trend of increased population spending and the predictably good weather in April and May. According to retail operators' sales data, turkey kebabs and sausages outsell all other types of meat. The positions of marinated turkey products for the May holidays remain stable and do not fall behind the third quarter of last year. Prices for some items have decreased by 3-5% for various products. It is expected that turkey producers are currently offsetting the increase in cost, which has averaged 5-7% since the beginning of the year, Davleev reported. He also noted that there is currently concern about the upcoming bird migration season, which could lead to avian flu outbreaks at enterprises.