Coronavirus essential services: winemaking, brewing and others
Tuesday, 24 March 2020
New Zealand's food and beverage producers are scrambling to understand how they fit into the Government's new plan for a largely shuttered economy as it struggles to contain the spread of coronavirus.
On Monday, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced that at midnight on Wednesday sweeping new measures require all but essential services to close down, with the exception of those where employees can work from home.
Businesses in the food supply chain are exempt from the shutdown order, but will need to register with the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) and satisfy new health and safety rules in light of the virus.
All but the smallest operators will need to answer questions including how they'll achieve social distancing of workers; how access to their plants will be limited; and how employees will be able to safely travel directly to and from work.
Many smaller players were struggling to keep abreast of changes, while larger businesses were advised of the development on Tuesday by conference call with Minister of Agriculture Damien O'Connor and MPI director-general Ray Smith.
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The registration process and forms were released by MPI late on Tuesday afternoon and can be found on mpi.govt.nz. Primary sector businesses can now contact MPI on 0800 00 83 33.
Chloe Van Dyke, co-founder of the Chia Sisters which produces fruit and chia drinks said it took 'great effort' on Monday to confirm its small manufacturing operation in Nelson could keep producing through the alert level 4.
On Tuesday, Ardern noted that 'those who are part of the food supply chain, who provide for our supermarkets, are part of our essential primary industry'.
The initial list of essential services published by Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) on Monday , however, contained no detail on food supply businesses.
Updated on Tuesday with more information, the list includes 'any entity involved in the supply, delivery, distribution and sale of food, beverage and other key consumer goods essential for maintaining the wellbeing of people, but not takeaway shops'.
Brewers, cider producers and winemakers have all confirmed they have been categorised as essential services.
All food exports, including those of wine and beer appear unfettered by the change to alert level 4.
Stephen Smith, chief executive officer of Moa Brewing Company, said he would prioritise the domestic market if it came to that.
Tim Richie, chief executive officer of the Meat Industry Association, said roughly 90 per cent of New Zealand meat was exported; Richie said firms were allowed to continue to export.
Alert level 4 appears to give the Government special powers of requisition. Richie said there were no shortages but he believed the Government would have the power to redirect exports to the domestic market if the need arose.
New Zealand Winegrowers chief executive Phillip Gregan confirmed the wine industry was included as an essential service. Along with other harvests underway at the moment, including Kiwi fruit and pip fruit like apples, the grape harvest would continue.
Gregan said the harvest was not yet halfway complete. Growers were rushing to house temporary workers separately, he said. Some had provided lodging in camper vans where meals could also be eaten alone.
He said, 'the Government has made it clear that to continue to operate is a privilege. We need to protect our staff and not spread the virus and we'll need to submit plans for this'.
Other winemaking operations would also carry-on, he said. Includnig fermentation, aging in barrels, bottling and distribution, as well as the pruning of vines crucial for next year's harvest. Exports would also continue.
* This story has been updated