Retailers have been criticised for selling ‘cart loads’ of Danish-origin hams in the lead up to Christmas.
Tom Sherman, a well-known Cork-based pig farmer, has criticised the Musgraves for selling Danish Crown hams for as little as €6/kg.
The Chairman of the IFA DNA Subgroup also said that a number of butchers in Co. Cork are supplying Irish consumers with Danish hams in advance of Christmas – one of the peak periods for ham sales.
Sherman said that the move by retailers and butchers is showing a real lack of support to Irish pig farmers.
Why not give the Irish pig farmer a chance?
“There is enough ham produced in Ireland to meet the Christmas demand as over 50% of Ireland’s pigmeat is exported.”
Sent to me from a pig farmer who visited @EnglishMarket in Cork. Buying an imported Christmas ham helps to close down Irish family farms pic.twitter.com/OC7bGPcFEr
— Shane McAuliffe (@ShaneMcAuliffe1) December 11, 2016
[yes-app]
[/yes-app]
He also said that it was inappropriate for Musgraves to sell imported ham, given that it is involved in the IFA DNA programme.
This label puts Irish pork and ham sold through Musgraves at an advantage when compared to the likes of Tesco, Lidl and Aldi, he said.
Moving away from the the issue of imported hams, Sherman also welcomed the appointment of Tom Hogan as Chairman of the IFA National Pigs Committee.
Sherman said he looks forward to working with with him to tackle problems with retailers and he added that the appointment had been welcomed by pig farmers across Ireland.
Consumers called on to support Irish farmers
Shoppers are being asked to think local and support Irish farmers and food producers when purchasing food this Christmas by Agri Aware, the independent Irish agri-food educational body.
Reminding consumers of the importance of supporting local jobs, Agri Aware is encouraging everyone to purchase produce that is fairly priced.
By choosing heavily discounted produce consumers reduce the value of the food on your plate.
In the long term, it said that below cost selling removes the link between the cost of producing food and the price charged for the end product.
By filling your shopping basket with quality and seasonal Irish produce, consumers are making the smart choice, it says.