Turkey producers prepare for Christmas

Succulent and tasty turkeys are currently being prepared ready for the Christmas market – but how much should North West farmers charge for them and how can shoppers be sure their seasonal bird has been reared locally?

Cheap frozen turkeys from countries such as Italy, France and Poland flooded the domestic market last year so in order to counteract this, the NFU has created a UK turkey logo for its members. This logo will form the basis for the 2006 Christmas promotional campaign and will be displayed on carrier bags, turkey boxes, posters and recipe leaflets.

Turkey farmers have the chance to learn more about this scheme at one of this year's NFU autumn turkey marketing meetings.

These meetings will take place on the following dates and at the following venues.

October 10: The Crofters, A6 Cabus, Garstang, Lancashire.

October 12: Heyrose Golf Club, Budworth Road, Tabley, Cheshire.

Both meetings will start at 7.30pm with refreshments provided. Anyone interested in attending should contact the NFU regional office on 01695 554900.

The cost of production for a range of different turkey weights will also be presented at the meeting, using the results of the NFU seasonal poultry survey. This will incorporate market trends, other variable costs and supermarket prices and should help determine what price farmers should be charging for Christmas turkeys.

These events are kindly sponsored by BOCM Pauls Ltd and cover many of the different facets involved with turkey production.