The prices of Turkey are now three times higher than last year due to Christmas bird rush, according to new data.
Fresh turkeys are going up the fastest with Tesco’s finest British free-range turkey crown and standard large fresh whole turkey both rising 33.3 per cent from £22.47 last year to £29.96 now.
Assosia For The Grocer researchers found that 40 percent of the 113 fresh and frozen turkey products this year cost more than what they did last Christmas.
Fresh turkeys are going up the fastest with Tesco’s finest British free-range turkey crown and standard large fresh whole turkey both rising 33.3 per cent from £22.47 last year to £29.96 now
Waitrose raised the price of the essential frozen turkey large by 25% and the cost for a new breast crown by 9%
This research includes all products found on shelves at major supermarkets.
The Tesco Finest Narragansett medium whole Turkey rose 11.1 percent, one of the largest increases.
Asda’s frozen turkey products rose from 10.7 to 16.7 per cent Even discounters such as Iceland, Aldi or Lidl were forced to hike prices.
Waitrose increased the price for an essential frozen large turkey (frozen) by 27.5 percent and 9 per cent respectively.
Turkey’s producers are being hit with a variety of higher costs, including fuel and processing as well as labour shortages.
According to the Grocer, there are no shortages on shelves. However, prices have risen.
The report added that around half the increase in prices was for turkey crowns, and 66.7 percent for frozen products.
The Tesco Finest-free range Narragansett medium whole Turkey was one of the more notable rises.
This warning also warned about longer-term problems facing suppliers under the pressure of retailers to maintain low prices.
According to one source in the poultry industry, it is ‘economically impossible to continue operating as many of these have to this year.’
It added: ‘The government’s seasonal visa scheme for poultry workers is just a sticking plaster and we will need a better way of attracting staff to the sector next year.’