Turkey production and particularly farming of the free range birds has been hit by a perfect storm of disease and cost increases, which has pushed up prices and slashed the number of birds reaching the supply chain. Giving evidence to Parliament’s EFRA committee, Richard Griffiths of the British Poultry Council explained how severe the situation is. He said: “the usual number of free range birds grown for Christmas is probably around 1.2 to 1.3 million. We have seen around 600,000 free-range birds directly affected”. Of the usual 8.5-9 million birds produced for Christmas, a million have now either died of bird flu or been culled. Meanwhile the outbreak continues to heavily affect the key goose and turkey producing areas in East Anglia. Cost skyrockets While the availability of turkeys plummets and the cost of them skyrockets, the British Game Alliance has been quick to point out that there is a great alternative, which is healthy, tasty and traditional. BGA CEO Liam Stokes said: