Despite a 10 percent increase in the number of turkeys produced in Utah last year, the value of the birds dropped 23 percent, according to the state Agriculture Department.
"The value of turkeys produced in Utah during 1987 was $38 million, 23 percent below the $49 million level of the previous year," said Delroy Gneiting of the department's Agricultural Statistics Service.Although turkey production in 1987 totaled 90 million pounds live weight, compared with 77 million pounds in 1986, said Gneiting, producers last year received an average of 42 cents per pound of live weight, compared with 64 cents the previous year.