WARNING OF CHRISTMAS SHORTAGES
CHRISTMAS dinner wouldn’t be Christmas dinner without pigs in blankets. But there are concerns they could be missing from the dinner table this year due to food shortages caused by coronavirus and Brexit.
The British Meat Processors Association is warning that staff and skills shortages could continue to hamper food production. It says the majority of meat companies are around six weeks behind their Christmas production schedules.
A spokeswoman said it looks “inevitable” there will be a shortage of what they describe as more complicated lines like pigs in blankets and gammon roasts.
She added: “Given the current workforce shortages, meat companies are finding it difficult to see how they’ll dig themselves out of this.”
Earlier this week it was warned that the UK is facing a nationwide chicken shortage with the impact expected to be felt on pubs and restaurants as Nando’s closed 75 stores and KFC takes items off the menu.
According to the British Poultry Council there is a significant shortage of workers across farming and processing with many businesses reporting an average vacancy rate of more than 16% in their workforce.
It also warns that it could have a huge impact on Christmas, with turkey production down by 20% and that there could be massive inflation in prices as a result.
New research this week by The Grocer has found the food shortages seen in July have started to ease. Supermarket out-of-stock levels have fallen to about 3.8% from a peak of 7.8% in mid-July. The norm is 2%-3%.
But food and logistics experts are pointing to a chronic driver shortage being far from over and new Brexit checks set to begin in October, at a time when Christmas planning is in full swing for the industry.
Andrew Opie, director of food and sustainability at the British Retail Consortium, said: “HGV driver shortages and disruption to global shipping has meant there has been some minor disruption to supply chains.
“Government must address the shortage by increasing the number of HGV driving tests taking place, providing visas for EU drivers, and looking for a longer-term solution.”
To address the shortage of HGV drivers, both Morrisons and Iceland have set up new driving schools.
A 12-week course for Morrisons colleagues has, to date, attracted more than 1,500 applications, said a spokesman.
Representatives of the National Farmers’ Union Cymru say it is too early to say what the situation will be by the end of the year, but they have been pushing the UK Government for more support. The union’s president, John Davies, said: “For seasonal poultry specifically, NFU Cymru and the NFU are engaging with government and have submitted a request that the UK poultry sector is given access to a seasonal workers scheme for 2021 and beyond, to ensure the sector is able to access the workers in the run-up to Christmas.”