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A British supermarket chain has decided to stop selling fresh New Zealand lamb while local product is available.
Waitrose has told a Welsh newspaper it has taken the step because of a collapse in prices, partly due to old season British lamb being widely available.
Earlier this month Irish sheep farmers protested outside a Marks and Spencer store in Dublin, accusing the chain of snubbing locally produced lamb in favour of New Zealand product.
However, Waitrose's own website is glowing in its praise of New Zealand lamb:
"New Zealand lambs are raised in the 'great outdoors' on open pastures, on a natural diet. It is a combination of this natural diet and environment and the fact that the lamb is left to mature on the bone, which ensures Waitrose New Zealand lamb is tender, succulent and exceptionally tasty. The New Zealand season is at its best in the UK winter when the UK weather is less conducive to growing quality lambs. So, the New Zealand lamb season complements the UK season, ensuring quality lamb is available at Waitrose all year round."
Waitrose also says New Zealand's organic lamb is reared on open pasturelands "which makes it a really superior choice."
- NEWSTALK ZB
