Retailers told to use imagination like North West farm shops
The money North West farmers are receiving for their lamb has fallen dramatically in the last four weeks sparking the NFU to call for retailers to use more marketing imagination.
The NFU is seriously concerned about the future sustainability of the North West lamb trade and the NFU is calling on retailers not to turn their backs on home-reared lamb in favour of cheap foreign imports.
"Farm shops in the region hold the key to the problem," said the NFU's livestock board chairman, Alistair Mackintosh.
"They are selling a lot of lamb to their customers as a meal and not just a meat. Therefore adding value. We know from our earlier discussions with retailers that we must show imagination in providing consumers with a convenient, assured tasty product and avoid the pitfalls observed in other nations, such as France, where lamb sales have fallen. Our farmers are doing this in their farm shops and now we need the major retailers to follow their lead."
Karol Bailey runs the successful Holly Tree Farm Shop in Knutsford, Cheshire. The way in which she displays the lamb in her shop makes it easy for consumers to buy lamb and then make it into a meal without any fuss.
"Customers want to purchase a meal that they can take from the fridge and put on the table within the space of fifteen minutes," said Karol.
"When I sell people Cheshire lamb I sell it with the first crop of Cheshire asparagus and some Cheshire potatoes. That way they get the whole Cheshire meal experience without having to make loads of decisions. People just don't have the time these days.
"I learned these marketing techniques from the supermarkets. I think these are disciplines they started but appear to have forgotten. If UK lamb is to have a bright future I believe supermarkets need to take a leaf out of our book."
The NFU's national livestock board chairman and Lancashire farmer, Thomas Binns, added: "Farmers will not continue to produce lamb if they are losing money. The anticipated late seasonal improvement in the trade has not yet materialised and new season lamb prices have been very volatile. We are keen to work with the British supply chain to ensure a sustainable future market for British lamb and build on our consumers' loyalty to buy fresh, local lamb."
