Central Victorian butchers are doing a roaring trade of local meat as the State Government orders meat processors to scale back production from Friday night to contain the spread of COVID-19.
Yesterday, the Victorian Government announced abattoirs will have to not only reduce their operations to two-thirds production, but workers inside the plants are required to wear personal protective equipment (PPE), like healthcare workers.
Central Vic Meats owner Mark Kemp said with news of these restrictions — set in place for midnight on Friday — orders have gone through the roof.
"We sold yesterday what we normally sell in a week," Mr Kemp said.
"It's obvious people listened to the news and went on a buying spree."
He said it was hard to know what the consequences of the meatworks scale backs would be, but he wanted customers to know there would always be enough.
Some glitches in supply
"People might not get everything they want, but it just might mean instead of having chicken thigh with your curry, you might have beef tonight," he said.
"We're not going to run out of meat, we just need to adapt."
Mr Kemp orders from abattoirs and farms, including Hardwick Meatworks in Kyneton and Hazeldenes Chicken Farm in Bendigo, where one worker tested positive for the virus and part of the facility was closed.
"Hazeldenes has had some issues and that's caused some short term pain with supply for chicken today, but they're saying that will be fixed and get better in the days to come," he said.
"Obviously our biggest issue with supply has been some of these outbreaks, but they are right onto them, so that will only cause some glitches."
Demand for local
Despite the negative impacts of COVID-19, he had noticed an increasing customer demand to buy local.
"For a long time, big has been best, everyone wants choice of absolutely everything," he said.
"But when you have a problem in the supply chain at supermarkets then it runs out pretty quick.
"At a retail butcher shop, we get it today and get it cut and in the window."
Bendigo butcher Joshua Williams had also noticed the rise in demand.
He orders in his meat locally, and has experienced a shortage of certain products this week.
"Chicken already has been an issue, but beef, lamb and pork have been fine," he said.
"There's that many different wholesalers and abattoirs, it's all a matter of working with them."
He said if local butchers ordered the right amount, there should not be a problem.
"I don't need to order 10 times the amount I need, because someone else will go short," he said.
