Farmers' union slams £1.99 chickens

The decision by supermarket giant Tesco to cut the price of its standard whole chicken to £1.99 has been slammed as "a very bad signal to Ulster's farming industry".

The store says bringing down the price of a bird from £3.30 will benefit "shoppers on a budget" and means families can make roast chicken with all the trimmings for less than £1 per person.

However, Joe McDon-ald from the Ulster Farmers' Union said the move "just makes no economic sense".

He said chicken farming is a "massive industry in Northern Ireland which employs a big number of people".

"The costs of producing poultry are soaring because of the shortage globally of cereals and its price," he said.

Compassion in World Farming criticised Tesco for discounting birds which it says may have been reared in poor conditions.

Tesco has also doubled its order for premium chickens which are bred to higher welfare standards.

The chain's media director, Jonathan Church, said the £1.99 whole standard chickens would help cash-strapped shoppers keep their bills down.

"No one should feel guilty for buying a chicken just because it is good value. The only reduction we make is in the price – not the welfare," he said.

But Mr McDonald said: "It looks to us that Tesco have done a complete u-turn, as in the past the company criticised one of the other major retailers for selling poultry at that price.