The closure of saleyards has removed another outlet for farmers looking to reduce stock numbers ahead of winter.
“There is a need to get to our winter carrying capacity by being able to offload stock and I think that is going to be a juggle,” she says.
The Ministry for Primary Industries, Beef + Lamb, DairyNZ, the Deer Industry Association, AgFirst and Federated Farmers are providing remote feed planning support to farmers including a feed budgeting service and farm systems advice to assist in the lead-up to winter.
Farmers can get a free assessment by their industry organisation and access to an adviser to discuss management options and avenues for practical support.
Meat Industry Association chief executive Tim Ritchie says to meet the standard of an essential business, plants had to be reconfigured which means slower processing and delays getting stock killed.
Indications are that sheep chains are operating at half the usual speed and beef 70% but Ritchie says companies could extend shifts or make further changes to recover some of the lost production.
“They are still bedding down the processes but usually at times like this you get some innovation.”
The meat industry has negotiated protocols with MPI it must follow with the nine-page document covering physical distancing, hygiene, self-isolation, monitoring staff health, cleaning and personal protective equipment.
MPI is auditing plants to ensure they adhere.
If a worker falls sick that would not necessarily require a plant closure because staff are required to work and stay in teams rather than generally mix with the workforce.
Silver Fern Farms has had four staff affected with covid-19, three at its Kennington deer plant near Invercargill and one at Te Aroha. All contracted the disease outside work before the essential business provisions and are recovering at home.
Chief executive Simon Limmer said Kennington is closed until April 8 as a precaution and because, being a small plant, staff worked close to each other before reconfiguration.
After a precautionary closure and Ministry of Health advice, Te Aroha is fully operational.
“The way we have approached both Kennington and Te Aroha with the support of health authorities and the stringent new processes we have in place serves as an assurance we are putting people first,” Limmer said.
Work areas have been marked so staff can observe the 2m distance, space has increased between workstations, mitigating practices have been introduced, face masks used or Perspex installed where distancing is not possible and staff breaks are staggered.
In a letter to staff Limmer says SFF’s priority is to ensure its operations do not heighten the risk of spreading covid-19.
Alliance livestock and shareholder services manager Danny Hailes says its ovine capacity is running at 50% and bovine at 70% with no impact on Cervena.
“We will look to increase capacity as we learn how to safely optimise the new way of working under alert level four.
“Our plants are operating both day and night shifts in an effort to process farmers’ livestock as soon as practicable within the safe working limits currently in place.”
Hailes says killing delays are inevitable and he asks farmers to be patient.
A Fonterra spokesman said milk is being collected and processed as normal.
Collection volumes are not too dissimilar to previous seasons, even with the North Island drought and southern South Island floods considered.
“Our operations in New Zealand continue as usual. Our factories are still able to operate while complying with MPI’s requirements, such as social distancing.”
B+LNZ chief executive Rod Slater says most domestic meat processors also export but he is aware one large Auckland processor has for the last two weeks focused solely on supplying the domestic market.
There is enough meat to satisfy domestic demand but Slater says Government rules preventing private butcher shops from opening limit distribution.
