Asda backs out of commitment to sell only British poultry

Asda has gone back on its commitment to sourcing 100% British chicken on all fresh poultry, NFU has confirmed. 

Asda, alongside all the other major retailers, has had a long-standing commitment to stocking British chicken in their fresh lines. 

NFU said that its members and the general public will undoubtedly be disappointed to see imported products on UK supermarket shelves. 

Responding to the news, NFU poultry board chair James Mottershead said: “It is disappointing to see that Asda has reneged on its commitment to sourcing 100% British on all fresh poultry. 

“Our understanding is that this is a temporary issue, and we have been assured by Asda that they remain committed to sourcing 100% British fresh chicken. 

“This is something we will continue to monitor. It is important that retailers stand by their commitments in order to promote confidence within the British poultry sector.” 

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Next steps 

NFU said that its team will continue to engage with Asda and monitor the situation closely to ensure that the retailer returns to this important commitment as soon as possible. 

At a time when farmers are faced with a number of challenges, it is vital that sourcing commitments are upheld to give confidence to the British poultry sector, NFU concluded. 

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