OUR LATEST NEWS AND VIEWS

As you are aware, Auckland will be going into Alert Level 3 from noon today for three days, with the rest of New Zealand going into Alert Level 2 at noon today for three days. Find more information in this article.

As you may have seen yesterday afternoon, the Prime Minister answered a press question around butchers operating online with contactless deliveries. This morning we have received official confirmation from MPI & MBIE that this is accurate and their websites will be updated to reflect this.

Butchers have been approved to operate an online/over the phone service with contactless delivery. Butchers must keep their doors closed to the public and must not provide a click and collect or pick up service. We will send through the official advisory notice shortly when we receive it.

Animal welfare crisis if independent butchers remain excluded from essential business list

The Government’s decision to exclude independent butchers from the essential business list will cause an animal welfare crisis in the New Zealand pork sector. All independent butchers across the country have been classified as non-essential businesses and been forced to close as part of the Alert Level 4 lock-down for COVID-19. However, the decision will likely result in the pork sector having no place to house up to 5,000 surplus pigs on farm every week.

The official COVID-19 government website has just updated its information and it now states:

'Butchers, bakeries and similar small-scale food retailers are considered non-essential'.