Price Watch
FROM the Chelford Review, w/c September 26 CATTLE Great numbers forward today and sold on a strong trade throughout. This time of year farmers are selling calves 10-20 days to free up room with calves coming from all angles. One week’s more milk and the result is double the price. Something to consider. POULTRY Pied turkeys x 3 sold for £14 per head. A Malay bantam and Paint Silkie bantam sold for £11 per head.
Three Indian Runner females, trio of Orpingtons and a trio of Chocolate Runners all sold for £8 per head. Another week of quality Hybrid P.O.L, Calder Rangers £5, Speckledy £5, Rhode Island Rock £5, Beechwood Blues £6. PIGS Porkers £106.70 average, cutters £114.08 average, baconer £95.91 average, overweight £54.27 average. SHEEP Only a small entry of breeding ewes met a firm demand with a 100% clearance. Plenty of buyers for all weights and breeds resulted in another fast trade. Hopefully the prices will attract more for next week’s special sale. EGGS Free range large £1, free range medium 90p, free range small 40p, medium 80p, duck £3.20, quail 80p. POTATOES Casa x 12.5kg £3.50, Melody £6, Bard £4, Desiree £4.50, Wilja £6, Harmony £5.50 FRUIT & VEG Leeks £4.25, onions x 4kg £2.50, red onions £2, tomatoes £5.50, small tomatoes £5, curly lettuce x 9 £4, celery £4.75, cauliflower x 6 £4, mixed cauliflower x 6 £4.50, Roman cauliflower x 6 £3.75, washed carrot £3.50, pumpkin £2.75, bunched carrot 50p, bunched beetroot 90p, gold bunched beetroot 50p, bunched parsnip 40p, Cos x 6 £2.50, Webb x 12 £3.50, dirty carrot £3.25, sweetcorn x 10 £3.50, squash £1.20, primo x 6 £2.50, Savoy x 6 £3.50, spring onions 70p. PRODUCE A lighter entry than might be expected at this time of year but every lot was successfully sold.
Four loads of big bale barley straw made £62 to £70 per tonne with round bale barley straw £48 per tonne.
A load of small bale hay made £135 per tonne and big bale hay at £78, £74, £62 and £60 per tonne. Prior to the sale of produce 11 lots of standing maize crops attracted interest from dairy farmers, selling for between £300 and £370 per acre depending on quality of crop.
HELEN Hunt, the NFU’s food chain adviser recently attended a Westminster food and nutrition forum on food labelling regulation.
A hot topic among speakers was the two-year trial in France to introduce mandatory country of origin labelling for meat and milk as an ingredient.
Italy, Lithuania and Portugal have also submitted applications, which the EU Commission has not yet done anything about.
The NFU has written to the Secretary of State, Andrea Leadsom, asking for the introduction of this national measure in the UK.
This view was supported by Mick Sloyan, AHDB Pork’s strategy director, who stressed the importance of Country of Origin labelling.
A YouGov survey found that consumers rated Country of Origin as third most important behind price and quality.
Mr Sloyan told the forum that he would like to see the introduction of mandatory labelling for meat and milk as an ingredient and he would like this extending to the food service sector.
He gave an example of a label for a food service bulk pack, the label said in large letters ‘Wiltshire Cured Ham’ with a big flag underneath it.
The pack stated ‘produced in the UK’ and in very small letters it said ‘made from EU pork’.
This was sent to trading standards who said it was acceptable.
The NFU would agree with Mr Sloyan’s priorities for labelling that is accurate, clear, front of pack and unambiguous so consumers can make an informed choice.
Henrietta Sameke, technical adviser for the British Meat Processors Association, told the forum that mandatory labelling of meat and milk as an ingredient would increase costs significantly.
There are several layers of activity that take place beneath the information on the label, from the coordination of the supply chain to the sophistication of the traceability systems.
The key question should be: Are consumers willing to pay for this additional information?
A study carried out by the EU Commission found that 90% of consumers wanted country of origin labelling of meat as an ingredient, however with price increases of 10%, 60% of consumers were unwilling to pay for this additional information.
Research carried out by TNS BMRB looking into consumer behaviour found that consumers checked product labels when there was a specific purpose, for example allergen information or when following certain diets or looking for things like sell-by dates.
They also looked at labelling when purchasing a new or unfamiliar product and when the use of labelling information was low.
Shopper behaviour tended to be routine and repetitive with a lot of repeat purchases. Consumers make snap decisions in the aisle and require more visualisation of information.
Going forward the NFU will continue to work with the supply chain to ensure that consumers have clear and accurate labelling.
With Brexit on the horizon there is no better time to call for strong national country of origin labelling.