UK official ask retailers to put steaks in promotion to solve carcass balance issues
The new way of life, under lockdown condition, is putting pressure on the animal farming sector in Great Britain, as consumers are tempted to preserve their money and to buy mainly cheaper cuts of meat. There is a total out of balance market for beef, already reported by several organizations in the country since the end of March, and the situation seems to affect now pork and poultry sectors as well. "There has been a drop in demand in various cuts, for example, steaks, leading to carcass balance problems in the beef, poultry meat and pig meat sectors. We have encouraged supermarkets to put steaks on promotion and, while the price of beef cattle has reduced in recent weeks, retailers are also reporting an increase in meat sales. Although the price of beef cattle, poultry and pigs has dropped, it still remains higher than in previous years. Quite a lot of beef, poultry meat and pig meat has gone into storage so we continue to monitor this market closely," said George Eustice, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
By the end of this month, The European Commission is expected to release a private storage aid scheme that could be in place for three to five months for beef and sheep producers. Under the scheme, €25 million (or 25,000 tonnes) would be available for beef and veal. Industry reports suggest most of the beef storage would be directed towards storing steak. Steak sales in Europe are struggling, causing carcass balance issues due to increased demand for cheaper products such as minced meat. A further €20 million, (or 36,000 tonnes) would be available as part of a similar scheme for sheep. As the UK is still in the transition period as it leaves the EU, it could apply for some of the support available under private storage aid. No similar scheme has been proposed for pig meat as exports to Asia are continuing without any major disruption reported so far.
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