Wednesday, 11 December 2019 08:55

Ease up on good guys

Written by  Staff Reporters
Raw milk is currently only allowed for sale at the farm gate or via home deliveries. Raw milk is currently only allowed for sale at the farm gate or via home deliveries.

It's time to give complying raw milk suppliers a break by easing the regulations on distribution, says a supplier.

Richard Houston, managing director of Takaka-based Village Milk, otherwise welcomes MPI's crackdown on unlicensed raw milk suppliers.

Raw milk suppliers can only sell direct to their customers, either at the farm gate – often through automated on-farm vending machines — or by home delivery. It cannot be sold at another location. 

“Current legislation’s pretty tight on distribution,” said Houston. 

“They consider the milk to be a really high risk but we’ve been running seven years now and we’ve never been faulted.

“We’ve got a really good procedure we follow every day, we test regularly and we’ve got great animals and a beautiful little farm.”

Houston said Village Milk is sold at the farm in reusable glass bottles, which his customers were managing “really well”. 

“It would be great to be able to take the milk a bit closer to the people. Not everyone can drive to the farm.”

Houston said raw milk is fantastic as a whole food.

“The legislation’s there. The milk’s safe.”

More like this

Help available for flood-hit farmers

The chair of the Otago Rural Support Trust, Tom Pinckney, says he believes that they will be especially busy in the coming months as the enormity of the floods hit home.

Getting Onside

Time matters in a biosecurity response, says Ryan Higgs, Chief Executive of biosecurity technology company Onside.

Featured

Food charity to hold online auction

Meat the Need, New Zealand’s dedicated charity delivering locally sourced protein meals to food-insecure communities, is launching an online National Charity Auction.

Kiwifruit sector's big night out

The turmoil and challenges faced by the kiwifruit industry in the past 30 years were put to one side but not forgotten at a glitzy night for 400 kiwifruit growers and guests in Mt Maunganui recently.

National

'Quite a journey'

Former Synlait chief executive Grant Watson says the past two years have been quite the journey.

DairyNZ levy to increase?

Retiring chair Jim van der Poel has used his final AGM to announce the intention to increase the DairyNZ farmer…

Former Fonterra CEO dies

Former Fonterra chief executive Theo Spierings passed away in the Netherlands over the weekend.

Machinery & Products

Milk Sustainability Centre launched

The recently announced Milk Sustainability Centre – a collaboration between global giant John Deere and milking and feed specialists De…

Data connection made easier

New Holland and Case IH are introducing new advancements in their precision technology stack to make farming easier and more…

» Latest Print Issues Online

Milking It

Feed from farmers

OPINION: The country's dairy farmers will now also have a hand in providing free lunch for schools.

Brighter future

OPINION: The abrupt departure of Synlait chief executive Grant Watson could be a sign that Chinese company Bright Dairy, the…

» Connect with Dairy News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter