Turkey retailers say avian flu outbreak won’t have an impact on supply
Posted December 3, 2014 10:52 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – You won’t have any trouble getting your Christmas turkey even with the current avian flu outbreak in the Fraser Valley.
Some butcher shops say they aren’t worried about the current situation which has four poultry product farms under quarantine, one specializing in turkeys.
Josh Penner with Meridian Meats remains confident in the business, as he says there are so many other farms in the area that aren’t affected. “There doesn’t appear to have any issue with product shortages. This is a fairly small and isolated circumstance so far.”
He says they are monitoring the situation. “The only thing that we’re doing is keeping in close contact with our poultry and turkey suppliers, just making sure that everything is going well on their end.”
Although he says sales are high at the moment, he admits some may choose not to have poultry over the holidays.
Nicole Cadotte with Rio Friendly Meats in Vancouver also believes there won’t be a problem in supply. “I honestly don’t think it’s going to affect our business too much. It’s only one turkey farm, and who it is right now we have no idea.”
She believes for the most part prices won’t jump. “Like most butcher stores have to have numbers in before Christmas on your turkey so I would think they’ve already been quoted a price.”
She says she expects to sell about 700 turkeys for Christmas.
