Christmas dinner threat as turkey prices soar

This year the lights on Palmerston Road were lit up on November 14.

Just like most cities, the people of Portsmouth are partial to a good turkey dinner on Christmas day - and we don’t seem to be stopping at any time soon.

However the rising cost of food and drink could soon prove prohibitive for some.

In recent times, customer have noticed an astonishing rise in prices for most products that enter our supermarket shelves. The Office for National Statistics have said that the cost of food and drink prices has gone up by 6.77 per cent in the last 12 months. The cost of turkey is estimated to have increased by 17.5 per cent compared to last Christmas.

But why are customers being forced to spend their well-earned cash on more expensive meats?

According to business consultancy CGA there have been fewer hatchlings of the staple centre of our Christmas tables, the humble turkey, which has meant that the price of turkeys have inflated significantly.

‘From a turkey perspective the vast majority of sales take place over Christmas, which has caused producers to move to a more profitable alternative in chicken,’ said Fiona Speakman, CGA's client director.

Supply and demand of turkeys is quite extensive during the holiday season. Merchants know that shoppers will often put off shopping until time becomes an issue and demand more for goods that are shown to be popular or in short supply.

Those Portsmouth residents who may prefer pork on the dinner table are also faced with a rise in prices as, according to the CGA, the cost of pigs has rose by 10 per cent. This is due to the large number of pigs which have been killed to stop the spread of African Swine Fever.

Even vegetarians can’t escape the rise in prices for Christmas dinner as wet weather and floods have reduced yields of vegetables such as Brussels sprouts and potatoes.

Ellie Bannister, aged 13.