With meat and poultry under pressure from from cheap imports and the aftermath of BSE and foot and mouth disease, fish is the brightest spot in this market and a major profit opportunity.

The smartest suppliers are overcoming consumer squeamishness and timidity with a high level of new product development, offering convenience and added value.

Cheap poultry imports,on the other hand, are having serious consequences for that industry.

Meanwhile the red meat sector has not had it easy. Beef, although recovering from its BSE days, is now struggling to resurrect export trade to avoid saturating the home market with excess meat.

Lamb is still feeling the effects of foot and mouth with supply short and consumer popularity low.

The pork sector too is feeling the pressure: supply is tight, costs are high and wasting disease PMWS is blighting an already struggling industry.

For more details see this week’s Focus on Meat, Fish and Poultry in The Grocer magazine - out Saturday.

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