Gobble, Gobble, Gobble......Turkey Ban ON or OFF

[Gonzo the Face]

For those turkey lovers out there, remember last year turkeys were not available for the holidays, due to a ban placed, chalked up to bird flu.  The year previous to last year , Butter Ball Turkeys sold for 75 B/P/K.    Late last year ,  ban be damned, some Butter Ball Turkeys became available at 500 B/P/K.  Due to some miracle , no doubt.

Now about this year,  anyone know about the foul, fowl ban?  Is it on or over???  Have any Butter Ball Turkeys been seen around ?   Note I mentioned Butter Ball. cuz I already know of the turkeys available on TV.

Edited September 3, 2016 by Gonzo the Face

[Argus Tuft]

Apologies that I cannot assist with information on your plight, but may I say that this is the best worded OP I have read in ages.

Well done Sir

[golfer1111]

I think you would find that the Butterballs available last year had dates that were pre import ban (hiding in a freezer here). I haven't seen any Butterballs since so I think the ban is still on, but I don't know it for a fact.

[MadMac]

Why you guys can't eat fish for the holidays?!

[DonaldBattles]

In Jan. of 2015 the Thai government embargoed all poultry products from the USA. This is similar to how they have embargoed beef imports for the past 12 years or so with any bones in. Each beef order has to be x-rayed and if any sliver of bones are found the entire shipment is denied. The shipper has to pay for the h-ray inspection. Conversely, last year the USA Trade Representative allowed 3400 items with GSP or low import taxes. The Trade Representative also allowed 11 agriculture products free import tax.   Further, the imbalance of trade with Thailand is about 15 Billion $.  I think that the Trade Representative may have been paid off by someone in Thailand. This is truly a crime to allow this huge advantage for Thailand. As soon as the new government is installed I plan to to bring a lot of pressure and publicity to the Trade Office to correct this terrible situation. Keep posted because when I start there will be a lot of hell raised with both the US Government and the congress. As a former lobbyist in Washington I know how to deal with this problem.

[chicowoodduck]

Since I am a turkey lover, will gloat a bit a let you all know I am currently in the U.S.A on holiday and enjoying some tasty turkey almost every single day.....if I could manage, might even stick a slice in my suitcase for my bounce back to anti turkey land at the end of the month...?

[Torrens54]

5 hours ago, golfer1111 said:

I think you would find that the Butterballs available last year had dates that were pre import ban (hiding in a freezer here). I haven't seen any Butterballs since so I think the ban is still on, but I don't know it for a fact.

I looked around at Rimping (near Airport) and at Hang Dong last week....NO TURKEY at either place.

[Peter Pattaya]

Plenty of turkeys available in Pattaya ,very fatty though! 

[slipperylobster]

Thanksgiving coming up in November.

Fat Turkeys are on demand....in most states. (A Hen...not a tom)

 

I plan on ordering one from Pattaya. Thanks for the heads up

 

 

Edited September 3, 2016 by slipperylobster

[tuky]

When are you on holidays?

Why not try thai food? You dont need to eat american food when you are holidaying surely.

[Gonzo the Face]

On a Thanksgiving  Holiday, some years back, I  tried a Thai turkey.  Never again. The edible meat  was barely noticeable.   All skin, mostly fat.  Not something for a Thanksgiving Dinner.

[NickJ]

I miss turkeys as well. Most Makros usually had them. That's were I bought mine. Norbest were at times cheaper than the Butterball even. Villa had them for a higher amount. As CP bought out Makro. I doubt they will ever stock them if and when the ban is lifted. My bet is there would also be a fair bit of price gouging as well.

Edited September 4, 2016 by NickJ
None

[NancyL]

The Norbest just aren't up to the standards of Butterball.

 

What I don't understand, however, is why the more enterprising stores like Rimping don't import turkeys from elsewhere in the world.  According to this, it looks like France and Poland are big exporters of turkey and Rimping already sources products from those countries:  http://www.thepoultrysite.com/articles/3192/global-poultry-trends-2013-nearly-onefifth-of-turkey-meat-exported/  In fact, one year they didn't have fresh-frozen cranberries from Ocean Spray and instead had  little fresh-frozen cranberries from some place in Eastern Europe, I think it WAS Poland and they made quite a tasty cranberry relish.

[DonaldBattles]

The reason for non import from other countries is the FDA approval and price.

 

[Gonzo the Face]

DB can you elaborate further on that please??

[DonaldBattles]

Like most other government organizations the Thai FDA uses it's political power for it's own benefit. The word for FDA is Aa Ya. If you want to import products it is going to cost you. The USA is the largest producers of turkeys in the the world and therefore very cheap. Other countries can not compete. They are afraid if the pay the big price for permission it could get cut off by Thailand allowing the USA to bring poultry in again. Australia and New Zealand have a free trade agreement with Thailand and beef imports are really big. However, 98% of their beef is grass fed and the quality is very poor as compared to the grain fed USA beef. ALL OF THIS IS A BIG THAI GAME AND UNLESS YOU ARE ONE OF THE PLAYERS IT IS DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND.

[NancyL]

All very interesting, but I could swear I've bought frozen duck from France at  Macro.  Don't know for sure.  I can feel a research trip in my very near future.  And to say that the beef from Australia and New Zealand is inferior to U.S. beef is just plain wrong.  And what about Japanese beef?  Sure see that in the local markets -- and at a premium price.  

 

I don't buy that there's some sort of grand conspiracy between the U.S.D.A. and the Thai FDA.  

[smccolley]

I used to get the norbest from Makro mainly because they were newer. As another poster mentioned the butterballs available were years old and really not flavorful. As for being too fatty. I use the recipe below to brine them. It really brings out the flavor and makes it less noticeably fatty.

 

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/54614/turkey-brine/

 

That being said - I am not sure how I will find a turkey this year, but I sure will try. For the folks who said - just eat Thai food, I do that mostly but I sure like putting together a turkey feast on Thanksgiving (US and Canadian) for me and my friends. I cook most every day and enjoy food from different countries and regions.

 

If you are interested, try this stuffing recipe - I am not a stuffing fan but it was perfect.

 

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/215477/black-olive-mushroom-and-sausage-stuffing/

 

[DonaldBattles]

What would you think that causes the unfair imbalance of trade with Thailand and why they won't allow poultry and beef in the country. Look at how the GSP on 3400 items means millions of $ of trade favors for Thailand. The US Trade Representative should be brought to court to justify his bad decisions. 

 

Regarding Australian beef. Give it a try against a US prime steak. US beef is grain fed for 60-90 days. Australian beef is mostly grass fed. Australian beef is grain fed in the deep of winter for a short period of time when there is no grass available. Australian beef is comparable to Thai French. I was in the beef business in Thailand for many years.

[garryjohns]

1 hour ago, DonaldBattles said:

What would you think that causes the unfair imbalance of trade with Thailand and why they won't allow poultry and beef in the country. Look at how the GSP on 3400 items means millions of $ of trade favors for Thailand. The US Trade Representative should be brought to court to justify his bad decisions. 

 

Regarding Australian beef. Give it a try against a US prime steak. US beef is grain fed for 60-90 days. Australian beef is mostly grass fed. Australian beef is grain fed in the deep of winter for a short period of time when there is no grass available. Australian beef is comparable to Thai French. I was in the beef business in Thailand for many years.

From your earlier post;

 "Australia and New Zealand have a free trade agreement with Thailand and beef imports are really big. However, 98% of their beef is grass fed and the quality is very poor as compared to the grain fed USA beef. "

 

What total nonsense you post.

Grass fed is known by the majority of consumers world wide as better tasting and all round better quality than grain fed ..As for Aus/NZ beef being very poor quality compared to USA grain fed and comparable to Thai French beef, surely you jest?

 

 

 

 

Edited September 4, 2016 by garryjohns

[DonaldBattles]

Until you have done a side by side comparison you will never know. I did a blind taste test between Thai French  and Aussie beef and they were judged equal. Approximately 35,000,000 head of beef cattle are slaughtered yearly in the USA and all are grain fed. If pen feeding was not necessary then it would not be done at this huge expense for transport and grain.

Australia does not have a classification for beef quality like the USA does and there are no independent inspectors in the slaughter facilities to stamp the quality grade on each quarter section. Each person has to draw his own conclusion based on his comparative experience. Australia exports a large amount of ground beef to the USA each year and is done so on the basis of price.

[mamborobert]

12 minutes ago, DonaldBattles said:

Until you have done a side by side comparison you will never know. I did a blind taste test between Thai French  and Aussie beef and they were judged equal. Approximately 35,000,000 head of beef cattle are slaughtered yearly in the USA and all are grain fed. If pen feeding was not necessary then it would not be done at this huge expense for transport and grain.

Australia does not have a classification for beef quality like the USA does and there are no independent inspectors in the slaughter facilities to stamp the quality grade on each quarter section. Each person has to draw his own conclusion based on his comparative experience. Australia exports a large amount of ground beef to the USA each year and is done so on the basis of price.

 

We are getting WAAAAAY of topic BUT....

 

Australia exports whole beef, lamb and goat to the US.  Beef is grain fed AND grass fed.

 

There is a Meat Standard and regular inspections by Quarantine.  Given an island state and export driven (2/3rds of all agricultural products) they are conscious of diseases coming in and protecting export market (hence still supply fowl to Asia and beef despite mad cow scares).  The live trade in somewhat troubled given the conditions on ships for lamb and goat particularly going to Middle Eastern countries as well as the religious slaughter methods for Indonesia in particular.

 

On topic...slightly Australia also has restrictions on Turkey from the USA, along with a number of other countries.  There appears to be genuine widespread concern over the product perhaps you could focus your efforts on product improvement for all export markets rather than use Thailand only for retaliation as an example.......This is the most recent USA USTR government report extract.

 

FOREIGN TRADE BARRIERS

-33-

Poultry

Australia bans imports of fresh, frozen, and cooked poultry meat, including turkey meat from the United States due to concerns about infectious bursal disease. In 2012, Australia initiated an evaluation of whether it would grant access for U.S. cooked turkey meat to the Australian market. The United States will continue to work with Australia and press for resolution of this issue.

[Johpa]

4 hours ago, DonaldBattles said:

 ALL OF THIS IS A BIG THAI GAME AND UNLESS YOU ARE ONE OF THE PLAYERS IT IS DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND.

 

Indeed it does take one who has wallowed in the venal excrement filled halls of government bureaucracies, and there is far less difference between the Thai and US variants than most people think, to understand these games. Turkeys will be turkeys.  I am impressed that you would come out of the closet and admit to formerly being one of those people.  Hopefully you are fully retired from buttering balls and on the road to repentance.

[garryjohns]

1 hour ago, DonaldBattles said:

Until you have done a side by side comparison you will never know. I did a blind taste test between Thai French  and Aussie beef and they were judged equal. Approximately 35,000,000 head of beef cattle are slaughtered yearly in the USA and all are grain fed. If pen feeding was not necessary then it would not be done at this huge expense for transport and grain.

Australia does not have a classification for beef quality like the USA does and there are no independent inspectors in the slaughter facilities to stamp the quality grade on each quarter section. Each person has to draw his own conclusion based on his comparative experience. Australia exports a large amount of ground beef to the USA each year and is done so on the basis of price.

 

 

You have obviously got some sort of hidden agenda and i'll not get involved in it.

 

Its actually laughable that you say that you and you alone did a blind test and you judged them equal??  

 

I think the real judges would disagree with you 100%, read this;

In the end, Australian beef was proved to be a cut above the rest, delivering on both flavour and tenderness — but is anyone really surprised?

From here; 

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-10-17/australia-takes-top-prize-in-world-steak-challenge/6862644

 

PS:Tho grain fed was used in this comparison, the point i'm disputing with you is the actual comparison of tastes and quality of Aus beef to others you quote in your post.

And a huge difference in what is classed as grain fed.. One of the major differences is that Australian grain fed cattle spend 85-90% of their lives in pastures. No cattle in Australia spend their whole lives in a feedlot. US grain fed cattle are also fed primarily on corn, whereas here they eat mainly wheat, barley or sorghum.

Edited September 4, 2016 by garryjohns

[sandyf]

No butterballs around here, just the feathered variety.

[dingdongrb]

" Note I mentioned Butter Ball. cuz I already know of the turkeys available on TV. "

 

Not sure how many Butter Balls here on TV but I can surely say there are many Puff Balls....  I see them all ranting about beef quality when this here is obviously a turkey thread.....  

Edited September 5, 2016 by dingdongrb

[DonaldBattles]

The taste us up to the taster. I agree that the grass fed beef has a stronger beef taste than grain fed. One time I feb my Thai cattle pineapple hulls and the meat tasted terrible and sweet.

[Tapster]

 

Just to be clear, are there no Thai producers of turkey at all?

[Gonzo the Face]

To make it clear.....  there are Thai bred and grown turkeys, but sadly like many things here, the quality is not the best.  Its the old concept, " don't make/grow a better product, make it cheaper... thats good."   My opinion, Butterball is the best with Norbest being an acceptable second.  But NO MORE Thai turkeys for me.

[Tapster]

Thanks Gonzo.

 

So, there will be no imported turkeys until the aforementioned ban is lifted...........therefore, not for Christmas 2016 unless something changes.

 

Is that right?