Price gap between butchers and chain supermarkets for red meat draws attention

Variations in red meat prices from butcher to butcher and imbalances between neighborhoods continue. Lamb meat has seen a price hike of nearly 60 liras in the last week. Butchers point out that meat prices could rise even further leading up to the month of Ramadan.

According to a report on NTV, the price of ground lamb has reached 1,180 liras, while cubed lamb has hit 1,150 liras. This time, it was lamb meat that saw its price tags changed at butcher counters as prices were hiked.

Aydın Tüfekçi, President of the Istanbul Retail Butchers Chamber of Tradesmen, stated, "In the last week, there has been a change between 30 and 60 liras, depending on the region. We have a period that starts at the beginning of November and lasts until the end of December; this is a period when lamb is scarce, something we experience every year. However, this time there has been a very significant increase."

For beef, the price increase per kilogram is lower, but beef may also see high price hikes as Ramadan approaches. At butchers, the price of ground beef starts at 630 liras, and cubed beef starts at 680 liras. Beef sold in supermarkets is approximately one-third cheaper.

Tüfekçi said, "We haven't had much of a difference in beef. There has been a difference of around 20 to 25 liras within 15 days. The Meat and Milk Board (ESK) provides the meat it imports from abroad to chain supermarkets, meat processors, and catering companies. As butchers, because my colleagues use domestic beef and cattle, there is a difference of about 200-220 liras when we process it into boneless meat.

I specifically want chain supermarkets to put a label stating that their products are imported so that citizens can make an informed purchase."

Butchers also point out that they have experienced a loss of business of more than 40 percent due to the price difference between them and chain supermarkets.

News Source: 12punto