Trade has yet to crank up for turkey farmers as festive season approaches

Turkey farmers have voiced concerns over high import costs and slow sales ahead of the busy Christmas period.

Due to the focus on the Christmas trade, much of the Irish turkey market is dependent on foreign imports.

Kildare free-range poultry farmer Billy Gray said that turkey imports are required because Ireland is not producing enough to meet consumer demand.

Imports

“There’s 1.5 million turkeys needed and only 800,000 produced.

“There needs to be a certain amount imported.”

Clive Clarke produces turkeys for direct sale in Co Offaly. He added that this year turkey import costs have doubled.

“A lot of it, we’re told, is down to bird flu in exporting countries and also down to welfare rules changing in the United Kingdom,” the Offaly farmer said.

“They’re only allowed to keep half the amount they used to keep.

“Instead of building new sheds, those producers are raising fewer animals and charging more.”

Clarke added that large Irish turkey producers are working within extremely tight financial margins. “These animals all have to eat and all the costs have increased. No one is actually making money; it’s just turning over.”

Another challenge facing the sector is the lack of skilled workers which is also stopping many farmers from increasing their production.

“Most people don’t want to do that kind of work,” Gray maintained.

“If it weren’t for foreign workers, there wouldn’t be a chicken produced in this country and that’s the reality of where we are.”

With Christmas around the corner, the turkey trade is expected to begin hitting its peak.

However, TJ Crowe, overseer of meat production at Crowe’s Farm in Dundrum, Co Tipperary said that there has been a slow start to sales this year and the amount of meat people are buying is shrinking.

“We’re a little bit slower this year than other years, maybe, people haven’t tuned into Christmas yet.

“But, I’m not worried that we’re going to be left with a load of birds,” he said.

Smaller birds

He said that whole bird sales remain buoyant enough, but that there “is a definite shift towards more breasts and smaller birds”.

On a more positive note, Crowe added that people are more willing to treat themselves to better meat at Christmas.

“We only offer the organic at Christmas because people look for it. “If they’re paying maybe €5/kg for something, they might spend €6/kg at Christmas because they’ll get a better one.

“Everyone wants to put their best foot forward for Christmas.”