Saleyards, markets spring back to life
The smell of livestock is once again wafting over Feilding’s bustling town centre.
Also returning are the regular rumble of traffic and steady procession of families on the footpath.
The Manawatu¯ town sprung back to life yesterday as trading restrictions continued to ease under alert level 2.
The Farmers’ Market and stockyard sales were back in action. Both are considered crucial for drawing crowds into the heart of the rural town.
Restrictions at both venues prevented gatherings and several other precautions reminded punters of the danger of coronavirus.
Market organiser Steph Strahan welcomed 23 returning stalls, about 80 per cent of the usual muster.
Now in its 15th year, the market attracts farmers, growers and artisans from across the region.
Visitors arrived through a single entrance, where they were asked to clean their hands before making their way through the stalls and exiting at the other end.
‘‘We’ve still got that great mix of fresh produce from the farm ... offering a product that is less touched and going straight to the consumer,’’ Strahan said.
‘‘Everything is cashless. There’s a cordon around the market, with a one-in, one-out [policy].
‘‘We’re really lucky because we’re not a huge market, for example, there are markets in Hawke’s Bay and Christchurch which are also going back.’’
Strahan expected the full quota of stalls to return next Friday.
‘‘You really have to applaud the businesses that have adapted.’’
Across town at the Feilding Sale Yards, more than 20 stock sales were cancelled following the mandatory closure of the largest stockyard in the southern emisphere during lockdown.
PGG Wrightson regional manager Matt Langtry said there would be a stock sale each day until June 1 to cope with the backlog.
However, entry to the yards would only be to workers and farmers intending to buy.
People selling their stock will be refused entry. The yards are also out of bounds to the public.
Some paddock and online sales had continued throughout the lockdown, however, widespread drought had significantly affected the industry.
Months of low rainfall have left farmers across New Zealand with little pasture growth to support farm animals.
That means they are unable to offload stock to other farmers and are short on feed for their livestock as they head into winter.
‘‘No-one is buying them [stock],’’ Langtry said yesterday.
‘‘The drought has become a bigger problem than Covid-19/. ‘‘Fortunately, there has been some light relief in Manawatu¯ and Wairarapa, but it’s still dire straits in Hawke’s Bay.
‘‘We understand that farmers are under a huge amount of pressure going into the winter.’’
Market-goer Robyn Brewster said she wasn’t worried about being out and about during the pandemic, explaining there had been no new cases for days before yesterday.
‘‘Yes, we have these precautions, but that’s all they are. I think everyone’s past that scaremongering stage now.’’
Although she doesn’t class herself as a market regular, she wanted to support local growers.
Brewster said more consumers wanted to know where their food came from and farmers’ markets hit that spot.
‘‘People like the interaction with stallholders. They find out about their food. It is a great market and I should come more.’’
She said farmers’ markets played a vital role, not just generating income for farmers and growers, but helping some businesses go mainstream.