UK supermarkets import European turkeys for Christmas as bird flu hits | UK | News
Supermarkets in the UK are being forced to stock turkeys from Europe this Christmas as bird flu hits British farms. In an “unprecedented” move, Lidl, Morrisons and Asda are importing turkeys from mainland Europe to ensure enough reaches British families’ plates for festive roasts.
All three supermarkets will source their own labeled turkeys from the UK. However, there are other brands available from outside our borders.
Morrisons stocks Bernard Matthews branded turkeys from Poland, Asda sells Cherrywood branded turkey crowns and Lidl sells turkeys from the EU under the Gressingham label.
Non-British turkeys will reportedly make up no more than 10 per cent of sales Guard.
According to a spokesperson for the British Poultry Council, it is common practice for retailers to stock up on imported birds to provide customers with a wide variety to choose from, especially over the Christmas period.
However, retailers only necessarily resort to it under “exceptional circumstances” to ensure sufficient stock is available.
Marks & Spencer said its turkeys were all British or Irish, while Co-op, Sainsbury’s and Tesco said their turkeys were all British.
Farms in the UK are suffering from a “bad season” of bird flu, also known as bird flu. Cases affecting turkeys, chickens and ducks are much higher than last year.
There have been 70 confirmed cases in the UK in less than three months. This compared with 81 cases in the entire season the previous year.
More than 5% of the UK Christmas poultry flock is thought to have been culled since the beginning of October.
In November, the government implemented measures to help prevent outbreaks of the disease. British bird keepers must keep poultry indoors, disinfect shoes and clean the enclosure.
Matt Hood, managing director of the Co-op, said: “We understand the extreme pressure poultry farmers are facing at the moment, particularly turkey farms, with the focus at this time of year. It’s crucial that retailers support and invest in the British farming industry to ensure it can weather the many ups and downs that nature brings.”
