Officials at the Canadian Turkey Marketing Agency say they’ve noticed no significant change in turkey sales since the “support Canadian beef” campaign began in June.
“The disappearance of turkey from Jan. 1 to the end of August was still running ahead of last year,” said John Sheldon, manager of market information with the CTMA.
“I can’t find any evidence that there has been an impact on turkey.”
Disappearance is the rate at which a product is removed from supermarket shelves.
The Beef Information Centre, a division of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, said the disappearance of beef in July was up 60 percent over the same period last year.
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While that is reassuring news for beef producers, many chicken and pork producers worry that that support for beef is coming at the expense of their industries.
However, Sheldon said turkey’s market share has remained steady.
According to Canadian food statistics, the average Canadian consumed 81.9 kilograms of meat, excluding fish, in 2002. Of that, 4.2 kg was turkey.
Tradition dictates that consumption of turkey rises dramatically during the final quarter of the year due to Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s holidays.
About 67 percent of whole turkeys are bought in the last four months of the year.
But even during the beef barbecue days of July, turkey sales remained a little better than those of July 2002.
Janice Height, director of corporate services with the CTMA, said the inception of “I Love Turkey Tuesdays,” a marketing plan introduced in April 2000, has steadily raised the profile of turkey meat for everyday meal planning.
“Increasing numbers of people are going to the site, they’re seeking out recipes, and additional information on turkey parts and how to use them.”
Height said the CTMA pushes its Turkey Tuesday campaign from February until September. The fall festive season normally takes care of itself.
Overall, turkey’s share of the Canadian meat market appears to be secure, Sheldon added.
“Other winds can blow and they don’t seem to have a lot of impact on turkey consumption,” he said.
