Industry demands support from retailers as Asda backs out of British beef promise
Asda has retracted a promise made in October 2021 to stock exclusively British beef, prompting a concerned response from several meat industry organisations.
All fresh beef in the Asda’s Extra Special tier is to remain 100% British and all of the supermarket’s fresh beef will be sourced from farms in the UK and Republic of Ireland.
A spokesperson for Asda told the BBC that the retailer had changed its policy due to the rising costs of British beef. They said: “Whilst we continue to work hard to keep prices as low as possible for our customers, these increases are significant.”
The National Beef Association (NBA) reported that British farmers are experiencing difficulties with feed, fertilizer and energy costs at rates “never seen before.” Chairman of NBA Neil Shand said: “Our supermarkets need to support domestic producers as much as possible – now more than ever.”
The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) livestock board chairman Richard Findlay said that it was “more important than ever” for retailers to “champion” farming in the UK. Findley said that any source promises made by supermarkets should be kept.
He added: “Our beef is renowned for its quality and high production standards, and retail support plays a big part in enabling farmers to make further investments in climate and environmentally-friendly food production.”
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