Poultry industry warns of Christmas turkey shortage if EU workers not allowed in
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Poultry farmers are urging the government to lift travel restrictions to allow hundreds of specialist EU turkey pluckers to fill jobs in the UK, with a warning that there could be a shortage of birds or higher prices if the restrictions are not waived.
An urgent exemption from Covid-related quarantine is needed to avoid shortages of highly skilled turkey pluckers and butchers that could trigger the collapse of this year’s supply, says the British Poultry Council (BPC). Around 9m British turkeys are reared for Christmas each year but the seasonal sector cannot survive without non-UK labour, it warns.
