Fresh turkey prices rise 45% after shortages caused by bird flu outbreak
The price of a centerpiece of fresh turkey for Christmas dinner has risen 45% due to shortages caused by the outbreak of avian flu, which decimated 1.6 million birds in the UK.
Not only are prices going up but the choice of fresh turkey is more limited in larger supermarkets, the number of chicken options whole and krone dropping by about a third this year.
At this time last year, consumers had 65 products to choose from, but now that figure is 44, according to The Grocer magazine.
Of the 27 comparable products available on both dates, all but one had experienced a price increase of at least 12%. The average price increase was 24.4% in this group, according to the report based on data from analysts of Assosia supermarkets.
The biggest movement was a 45.3% increase for a Morrisons Large British Whole Turkey to £31.44, followed by a 41.6% jump in the price of a Morrisons Medium Turkey to £23.45. The price of a 5kg M&S Collection organic turkey with offal, sold via Ocado, saw the third biggest increase, by 35.7% to £95.
Frozen turkeys are also more expensive, with an average price increase of 18.1% for the 49 frozen ranges available this year and last year. The biggest move was a 30.8% increase in the price of an average Braemoor UK turkey crown sold to Lidl from £12.99 to £16.99.
Last month the British Poultry Council (BPC) told a hearing of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee that of the 8.5 to 9 million of the turkeys produced each year for the holiday season, approximately 1.6 million had already died of the disease or had been culled.
Free-range producers have been affected" very, very hard," according to BPC chief executive Richard Griffiths, who said about half of the turkeys and geese in the area, or the equivalent of 600,000 birds, had been killed by the disease. p>
With food price inflation at its highest level since 1977, turkey isn't the only item in the traditional Christmas feast that has increased. lied in price, with a separate Kantar survey predicting that households will need to budget around 10% more in total.
The cost of a meal for four - including including frozen turkey, carrots, cauliflower, potatoes and Christmas pudding - is £31 this year, up 9.3% from 2021, he said. /p>
The price of a centerpiece of fresh turkey for Christmas dinner has risen 45% due to shortages caused by the outbreak of avian flu, which decimated 1.6 million birds in the UK.
Not only are prices going up but the choice of fresh turkey is more limited in larger supermarkets, the number of chicken options whole and krone dropping by about a third this year.
At this time last year, consumers had 65 products to choose from, but now that figure is 44, according to The Grocer magazine.
Of the 27 comparable products available on both dates, all but one had experienced a price increase of at least 12%. The average price increase was 24.4% in this group, according to the report based on data from analysts of Assosia supermarkets.
The biggest movement was a 45.3% increase for a Morrisons Large British Whole Turkey to £31.44, followed by a 41.6% jump in the price of a Morrisons Medium Turkey to £23.45. The price of a 5kg M&S Collection organic turkey with offal, sold via Ocado, saw the third biggest increase, by 35.7% to £95.
Frozen turkeys are also more expensive, with an average price increase of 18.1% for the 49 frozen ranges available this year and last year. The biggest move was a 30.8% increase in the price of an average Braemoor UK turkey crown sold to Lidl from £12.99 to £16.99.
Last month the British Poultry Council (BPC) told a hearing of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee that of the 8.5 to 9 million of the turkeys produced each year for the holiday season, approximately 1.6 million had already died of the disease or had been culled.
Free-range producers have been affected" very, very hard," according to BPC chief executive Richard Griffiths, who said about half of the turkeys and geese in the area, or the equivalent of 600,000 birds, had been killed by the disease. p>
With food price inflation at its highest level since 1977, turkey isn't the only item in the traditional Christmas feast that has increased. lied in price, with a separate Kantar survey predicting that households will need to budget around 10% more in total.
The cost of a meal for four - including including frozen turkey, carrots, cauliflower, potatoes and Christmas pudding - is £31 this year, up 9.3% from 2021, he said. /p>
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