Meat supplies running low

Supermarkets say it is inevitable: they will import meat

Supplies of British meat are starting to run low as a result of the foot-and-mouth outbreak.

Suppliers expect the crisis to impact on the domestic meat market with consumers footing the bill for the increase in prices incurred.

Supermarkets say they will have no option but to import meat by next week.

Some supermarket chains import pork from Denmark and lamb from New Zealand. The increased demand for imported meat will reach the paying customer, as the disease causes a ripple effect across the country.

But some meat suppliers are reticent about importing meat; rather some would prefer to limit the amount of domestic product currently available.

Sandy Crombie: Rationing of meat is likely

Sandy Crombie, a butcher from Edinburgh said: "If there are no supplies available we will have to contemplate selling a limited amount of food.

"Rather than using imported meat which most butchers would be less willing to sell."

Restaurants have seen their meat prices rise by 40-50%. They say they cannot absorb the kind of increases that are expected.

Charan Gill, of Harlequin Leisure, one of the country's biggest curry chains, said there is little point in changing prices on menus if they will have to be amended again in two weeks time.

Mr Gill said: "I see this as a temporary blip. Hopefully a week, maybe two. The easiest thing for us to do is to have a percentage increase across the board on top of a bill."

Charan Gill: The price of meals will go up

Although there is been no evidence of panic buying supermarkets say demand for meat has been slightly up.

The foot-and-mouth outbreak reached Scotland on Thursday, following tests on two farms.

Scottish Rural Affairs Minister Ross Finnie, said the news was a devastating blow.

The disease was detected at Netherplace farm in Lockerbie and Parkhouse farm in Canonbie, both in Dumfries and Galloway.

As the weekend nears, Scotland rugby fans face an anxious wait to see if the Calcutta Cup match against England at Twickenham goes ahead as planned.