Supermarkets Urged To Put Up UK Beef Price
UK - Retail analysis conducted by Eblex and released earlier this month confirms the National Beef Association's long held belief that home produced beef is undervalued by multiple retailers and routinely undersold.
5 June 2007
2 minute read
The Eblex findings clearly show that if supermarkets introduced modest rises in the price of steak, stewing steak and mince promoted under the increasingly successful English label they too could make more money and create a win/win situation for all sectors of the UK beef industry.
For example, if there was an across the board increase in English mince prices overall retail income would increase by £18.4m a year and these gains could be passed back through processors to hard pressed beef farmers who are currently selling cattle for substantially less than the cost of production.
"This Eblex work carries an important message for every beef farmer in the UK because it shows that retailers must look at the beef price issue more closely. Currently they are using low cost fresh beef to reinforce the concept of one stop shopping and to encourage more consumers to visit their stores to buy other products," said NBA chairman, Duff Burrell, from Alnwick.
"However Eblex has made clear that the multiples are missing out on a chance to increase their own revenues while at the same time being too hard on farmers and jeopardising future prime cattle supplies. The message is that if the supermarkets focused on price rises for all cuts, bar roasting joints, they could substantially raise the value of beef carcases and make their own contribution to sustainable beef farming in the UK."
Source: ic Teesside.co.uk
