Low supply is driving the price of meat up, says consumers association

The low supply of meat has led to a 36 per cent hike in the price of turkey this year, and 16 per cent for pork, the consumers association said on Friday.

As people prepare for the last of their Christmas shopping, head of the association Marios Droushiotis said the overall price increase ranges between 20 to 25 per cent where meat is concerned.

The price jump has been observed in the past month and a half, mainly due to the low supply of meat.

Due to the increased costs of animal feed, many farmers have had to reduce the number of animals they have, bringing up the price of meat.

“With a low supply of meat, this leads to an increase in prices, which were already going up due to the animal feed pricing.”

This also applies to imported meat, Droushiotis added.

Though there are differences in prices between different supermarkets, they are quite marginal, he noted.

Earlier this week, the butchers’ association said it would need to import lamb from Greece to cover demand. It observed a small fall in demand for certain meats, such as beef and turkey, was expected after prices rose by 30 per cent, but added that it is still quite high as Cypriots love meat.

The association revealed a four-member, well-off family can expect to spend about €166 on about 35 goods for the Christmas meal. According to the findings, a four-member family on a budget will spend about €92 on 19 items.

Every consumer will spend based on their priorities on what is most important, Droushiotis said.