Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has made an estimate of the potential impact of avian flu on the change in the cost of a turkey since the 2021-22 financial year.

There are many factors, including the impact of Avian Influenza, that will influence the cost of a turkey. To support the seasonal poultry sector, Defra announced on 28 October a flexibility to marketing rules in England so that farmers who breed turkeys, geese, ducks or capons for the Christmas market have the option to slaughter their flocks early and freeze these products, which can then be defrosted and sold to consumers between the period 28 November and 31 December 2022. These changes have given farmers certainty over business planning and have helped secure the supply of turkeys this Christmas.