Overview

• Morrisons, Asda and Sainsbury’s confirmed in recent days that they have begun trialling or expanding sales of chicken and beef imported from Poland, Australia, Uruguay and New Zealand
• The National Farmers’ Union warns that many of these products come from systems with higher stocking densities and common use of feedlots compared with UK farms
• Liberal Democrat environment spokesperson Tim Farron and NFU livestock chair David Barton say the shift undermines long-standing sourcing commitments and damages farmer confidence
• Retailers insist all imports are clearly labeled and form part of efforts to offer customers “outstanding value” after UK farm gate beef prices rose by almost 44% year-on-year
• The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board predicts UK beef production will fall by 5% over the next year amid subsidy cuts and declining farm profitability