I recently posted a piece about the price of frozen NZ legs of lamb, see here. You may find this even MORE baffling; I certainly do!
Above is an ad' that I've just received through the post. It is from the reasonably up-market Leclerc supermarket where I regularly shop.
These 1.8 kg frozen NZ gigots, at €5.62 per kg, cost a fraction over €10 each, and minus €1 per piece for having a loyalty card, they end up as €9 each; about £7. The ones I bought recently cost €15.50; and at the time, I considered those extremely cheap too.
After my previous piece, I received several comments from both Kiwis and Aussies saying that 'down under', Lamb is now quite expensive; in fact, a luxury.
So how come this delicious NZ Lamb is ending up here in France at this ludicrously low price? (I'm not complaining). If anyone knows the answer I'd love to hear it. Meanwhile I'm chucking unwanted stuff out of the freezer to make way for two or three more.
These 1.8 kg frozen NZ gigots, at €5.62 per kg, cost a fraction over €10 each, and minus €1 per piece for having a loyalty card, they end up as €9 each; about £7. The ones I bought recently cost €15.50; and at the time, I considered those extremely cheap too.
After my previous piece, I received several comments from both Kiwis and Aussies saying that 'down under', Lamb is now quite expensive; in fact, a luxury.
So how come this delicious NZ Lamb is ending up here in France at this ludicrously low price? (I'm not complaining). If anyone knows the answer I'd love to hear it. Meanwhile I'm chucking unwanted stuff out of the freezer to make way for two or three more.
Anything that can be exported is sold at the international market price...in the latest "this weeks offers" of the national supermarket here, Fresh Lamb Shoulder Chops are down to $NZ10 a kilo....so at present about £5.20 usually it is nearly twice that.
ReplyDeleteOne of the Pirate's friends has orchards not far away, and practically all his apples are exported as he gets more for them. The Braeburn apples in the shops are mostly from the USA....
Most people can only afford "cheap" cheese or butter....and that isn't cheap either.
The government will not intervene, this is food industry policy.
All very odd. If it comes thousands of miles from NZ it costs £7, if it comes from nearby it costs over £20.
DeleteBizarre, isn't it. Thanks for the heads-up on the lamb, Cro: we have a Leclerc a few kilometres away and it's certainly worth buying a few at that price if we can get them. A leg of lamb with garlic and rosemary roasted on a bed of beans, carrots and onions is our favourite one pot dish in this cold weather.
ReplyDeleteI've just this minute returned from Leclerc, and the gigots are now back to normal price. I had a look at the prices for fresh ones, and they are nearly €30!!!
DeleteSo it was all a dastardly gallic ploy to get you to go to the supermarket, realise the price had gone up and think, well, I'm here now so I might as well buy something...
ReplyDeleteCoincidentally, we are having whole New Zealand lamb today, packaged and exported to Angola from the Lebanon. No wonder it is tender, think how many times it must have been frozen, thawed out a bit, been frozen again...
I really don't understand the politics of food. Lamb is a luxury meat here in NZ. I live in the country and I'm able to barter with my neighbours, otherwise I'd hardly ever be able to afford it.
ReplyDeleteBest not to hurt your head tring to figure it out...just stock up and thank your lucky stars.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in Ireland last month with my sister and family I trudged to the butcher for lamb to make stew. SHOCKERS at the price. I froze the leftover, brought it home on the plane and gave it out as souvenirs instead of the wool blankets I usually bring
ReplyDelete