Craving roast chicken? You might not find one at Coles or Woolworths this Christmas
- Replies 7
It's the time of year when family and friends get together to celebrate, and what better way to do that than with a big, hearty roast dinner?
Unfortunately, if you're planning on cooking up a feast this holiday season, you might be out of luck when it comes to finding a roast chook at your local supermarket.
For many of us, Christmas just wouldn't be the same without a traditional roast chicken dinner. But as the holiday season approaches, Australian supermarkets are about to face an ‘alarming’ scarcity of chicken meat.
According to industry experts, suppliers are set to face skyrocketing prices that will impact the availability of the classic staple in pubs and restaurants.
Wholesaler Foodbomb revealed that chicken prices are anticipated to rise by 12 per cent by the end of the year as farmers and meat plants reduce their output.
The shortage is set to run well into the new year, and several factors are to blame. Externally, Russia’s hostile invasion of Ukraine triggered petrol prices to rise dramatically. This caused a global wheat shortage – the most common ingredient in chicken feed.
Domestically, inflation is continuously pushing the price of poultry even higher at a time when farmers have struggled to find enough workers due to the pandemic. This decline in staff (an estimated 20 per cent) means that farms and chicken producers are forced to raise fewer chicks.
Jim Hoang, Poultry Distributor from Master Poultry, said: ‘The industry has never seen this before because historically the prices go up and then they come down, but now they just keep going up.’
He added that the price of feed is high at the moment, so chicken farmers reduced their output ‘so they don’t have to raise as many chooks’.
‘I’ve had so many people calling me for prices and wanting to buy chicken, but we just don’t have enough, not even for our regular customers.’
Nathan Lo Russo from Foodbomb shared that supermarkets and hospitality venues will continue to see price hikes.
‘Historically, suppliers would absorb price increases, as they were minor and usually temporary, but now due to various factors like inflation and staff shortages those price increases are too high for suppliers to absorb alone,’ he explained.
YCC Poultry, one of the largest chicken suppliers in Australia, reported ‘higher than normal’ mortality rates, which also wrought havoc on their stock.
YCC Poultry, who produces 60 per cent of the country’s supply, did not reveal the reason why.
Meanwhile, the Australian Chicken Meat Federation (ACMF) downplayed the price warning and said Aussies have nothing to worry about.
‘The ACMF is not aware of any issues in chicken meat supply or any anomalies across the broader supply chain,’ a spokeswoman for the organisation admitted.
As of writing, Coles revealed that it ‘has not been experiencing chicken shortages at the moment’. Meanwhile, Woolworths referred to the ACMF’s findings.
‘Australians will be able to enjoy their favourite meat for Christmas and throughout the holiday season,’ the ACMF said.
Have you felt these changes in your local supermarkets, folks? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!
Unfortunately, if you're planning on cooking up a feast this holiday season, you might be out of luck when it comes to finding a roast chook at your local supermarket.
For many of us, Christmas just wouldn't be the same without a traditional roast chicken dinner. But as the holiday season approaches, Australian supermarkets are about to face an ‘alarming’ scarcity of chicken meat.
According to industry experts, suppliers are set to face skyrocketing prices that will impact the availability of the classic staple in pubs and restaurants.
Wholesaler Foodbomb revealed that chicken prices are anticipated to rise by 12 per cent by the end of the year as farmers and meat plants reduce their output.
The shortage of chicken meat will hit supermarkets this holiday season. Credit: Karolina Grabowska/Pexels
The shortage is set to run well into the new year, and several factors are to blame. Externally, Russia’s hostile invasion of Ukraine triggered petrol prices to rise dramatically. This caused a global wheat shortage – the most common ingredient in chicken feed.
Domestically, inflation is continuously pushing the price of poultry even higher at a time when farmers have struggled to find enough workers due to the pandemic. This decline in staff (an estimated 20 per cent) means that farms and chicken producers are forced to raise fewer chicks.
Jim Hoang, Poultry Distributor from Master Poultry, said: ‘The industry has never seen this before because historically the prices go up and then they come down, but now they just keep going up.’
He added that the price of feed is high at the moment, so chicken farmers reduced their output ‘so they don’t have to raise as many chooks’.
‘I’ve had so many people calling me for prices and wanting to buy chicken, but we just don’t have enough, not even for our regular customers.’
Farmers are forced to raise fewer chicks. Credit: Pixabay/Pexels
Nathan Lo Russo from Foodbomb shared that supermarkets and hospitality venues will continue to see price hikes.
‘Historically, suppliers would absorb price increases, as they were minor and usually temporary, but now due to various factors like inflation and staff shortages those price increases are too high for suppliers to absorb alone,’ he explained.
YCC Poultry, one of the largest chicken suppliers in Australia, reported ‘higher than normal’ mortality rates, which also wrought havoc on their stock.
YCC Poultry, who produces 60 per cent of the country’s supply, did not reveal the reason why.
Meanwhile, the Australian Chicken Meat Federation (ACMF) downplayed the price warning and said Aussies have nothing to worry about.
‘The ACMF is not aware of any issues in chicken meat supply or any anomalies across the broader supply chain,’ a spokeswoman for the organisation admitted.
As of writing, Coles revealed that it ‘has not been experiencing chicken shortages at the moment’. Meanwhile, Woolworths referred to the ACMF’s findings.
‘Australians will be able to enjoy their favourite meat for Christmas and throughout the holiday season,’ the ACMF said.
.png){kind=icon}
