Farmers urged to ‘cash in’ on the growing fresh turkey market (1971)

That was the opinion of Mr Allan Chambers, the managing director of River Rest (NI) Ltd of Tullynaskeagh, Downpatrick, Co Down, who, it was noted, was booked out with orders for poults, thousands of which would go out to farms all over Northern Ireland.

This progressive young turkey breeder, who had trebled his output of River Rest poults in four years, advised farmers to “cash in” on supplying fresh turkeys for the seasonal markets.

As Allan was supervised a big hatch of strong, healthy poults he discussed the untapped market with Farming Life.

“The Northern Ireland turkey industry is now at the crossroads,” said Allan. “At present the majority of farmers and farmers' wives who grow turkeys concentrate their efforts entirely on the Christmas trade.

“Despite, the ups and downs of the market price, those who practise good husbandry generally show a reasonable profit. This they achieve by making use of existing farm buildings, which might otherwise be empty, and by doing the majority of work themselves, including the presentation and marketing of the finished product.

“A prime example of this is a customer of ours who sells 400 turkeys locally to butchers and housewives. These turkeys have been fattened on top of one of the two covered silos on the farm.”

But, he emphasised, the turkey is no longer considered something purely for the Christmas dinner. Due mainly to the combined efforts of the large breeding companies in England, through the British Turkey Federation, there was now as much turkey eaten throughout the year as there was at Christmas.

“We in Northern Ireland have benefitted from this and the last two years have seen the emergence of a good Easter market whilst the demand for turkey at other holiday times, such as Whit, the July Twelfth weekend, and Hallowe'en, is also on the increase.”

He pointed out that one large Belfast store was selling up to 60 small 7-9lb fresh oven-ready birds each week, when they could get them, and another butcher, who ran six shops in the city told him that he wanted 40 small turkeys each week and another 40 medium size (14-18 lbs) for cutting up.

The problem for the Northern Ireland farmer was how to cash in on these new markets. He admitted that the answer was not easy, but he gave a few points which might help farmers.

“First make sure in your own mind that you like working with turkeys, a vital fact, and are prepared to put the necessary effort into selling your project. Do not try to compete with the large integrated operators producing oven-ready frozen birds on a year-round basis. Your costs will soar, with new housing, requirements, processing equipment, &c. This is a specialists job - leave it to the specialist.

“Secondly make it a principle if you decide to grow turkeys all the year round in existing buildings on your farm, that there will be at least three weeks in the year during which you will have no turkeys on the premises. This enables you to clean out and disinfect.

“Recently about six large English turkey companies have gone bankrupt. Disease, and not only fowl pest, has been the undisputed cause.”

Having established these points the next consideration, assuming that the growing of the birds causes no problems, is the presentation of the product to the butcher and housewife.

“I am always amazed at the number of badly plucked, bruised and dirty birds which are sold each year at Christmas,” Mr Chambers said.

Some points worth considering were the removal of all feathers (including stubs), washing the birds’ feet and the use of plastic bags if the birds are being sold individually, remarked Mr Chambers.

“One producer I know has gone so far as to tie a red rosette onto each bird to establish a brand image – a point well worth considering when selling fresh turkeys on a local market.”

Mr Chambers said that his company, as poult producers, firmly believed that when it came to producing fresh turkeys to command a premium price at other times than Christmas, no large independent organisation could compete with the farmer who knew his local markets.