Homekill demand up

Demand for homekill meat across the country is increasing, with businesses putting it down to the rising cost of food. However, rules around homekill are pushing people to look at hobby farming, or at least owning one animal, to keep their costs down.

Waikato homekill service Wally Smith reports business is up 30 per cent compared to this time last year.

Increased cost

Wally Smith’s Barbara Lankow believes the cost of meat at supermarkets has forced customers to look for alternative options, despite having to up their own prices due to in ation. “We were a bit worried with all the price increases that everyone would go away from it, but we seem to be getting a little bit more now that the price is so dear in the supermarket.

“We found that even with our prices being up, people are still going for it, so it’s good at our end.” Homekill is the slaughtering and butchering of farmed animals for your own use and consumption. It can be done by the person who owns the animal, or by a listed service provider. However, it is illegal to sell or trade homekill meat.

Options

Under the Animal Products Act, a person must own the animal for a total of 28 days before it is butchered by a homekill service. is leaves only the animal owner, or their direct family, farmworkers and their direct family able to consume the end product.

Barbara says while hunting for deer and pigs is also an option, many are nding ways to ensure they have their own quality meat for reasonable pricing.

“A lot of farmers are giving a lot more to their brothers and sisters and family. But I think a lot of people will most probably be looking at buying animals and trying to graze them somewhere and do it that way.”

She says the price to do this with a beast, once you have included the cost of the homekill, would be around $2000. However, sheep are a lot cheaper to initially buy.

“I’ve noticed a lot of people are trying to buy sheep – because sheep are normally about that $180-$200 … then you’re cutting up on top of that.

“It’s not as much, so I’m getting a lot of people ringing up and trying to nd them.” e owner of the business –who chose not to be named – said she had been at-out, believing it to be a direct result of the cost of meat in supermarkets.

Other businesses spoken to by RNZ also said demand had increased – one saying the increase started before Christmas and had not slowed down.

Leah Tebbutt/RNZ