The autumn cull of lambs has already begun in some parts of Iceland, to be sent to Whole Foods stores in the US.
MBL reports that about 600 sheep were slaughtered in Hvammstangi yesterday. The meat from the cull will be shipped fresh to the US for sale in Whole Foods stores.
Magnús Freyr Jónsson, the managing director of the slaughterhouse KVH, told reporters that they aim to export a total of 250 tonnes of lamb meat. This may indicate that ground was gained in talks Magnús was reported to be having with Whole Foods last spring.
As reported, Iceland’s continued practice of commercial whale hunting has had negative effects on the sale of lamb meat at Whole Foods. At the time, Magnús said that the Whole Foods chain had been pressured to stop selling Icelandic products altogether, but in the end, a compromise was reached.
“In 2009, when whale hunting was started again, we made a deal with Whole Foods that they would continue to sell Icelandic lamb meat, they just wouldn’t market it,” Magnús told reporters. “Then came more pressure on the company to stop all business with us. They didn’t do that, but they stopped advertising our products.”
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