15 Dec 2015

UK sheep farmers to protest at NZ lamb sales

8:12 am on 15 December 2015

British sheep farmers plan to protest at a UK supermarket chain they say is selling too much New Zealand lamb.

Tesco supermarket, Mancheseter.

Photo: AFP

The group Farmers For Action says New Zealand lamb is taking up display space in Tesco chillers which should be used to sell local product.

The group's leader, David Handley, said Tesco would not reveal the proportion of New Zealand imports it offered for sale compared to British lamb, nor commit to sourcing more locally grown sheep meat.

He said Tesco had failed to deliver on promises made over the past three years to sort out the levels of New Zealand lamb it sells.

Tesco says it will trial contracts with up to 100 British sheep farmers after Christmas that guarantee to cover the cost of their production.