Lindsay Farm becomes first registered farm in NZ to have raw milk depots

Lindsay Farm can finally provide raw milk to most of its consumers. Photo / File

Central Hawke's Bay raw milk supplier Lindsay Farm has become the first farm in New Zealand to have be allowed by the Ministry of Primary Industries to have depots for their raw milk.

Co-owner Ange Brooks told Hawke's Bay Today that the news was appreciated after earlier saying that delivering without depots had been a "logistical nightmare" and the farm's chances of survival were minimal.

Brooks said the week starting September 28 was the farm's first week back to how it had been before it signed up to MPI's regulated control scheme, which it did following a case of camplyobacter that put a child in hospital being link to one of the farm's batches.

"Depots need to be registered, the milk pre-ordered, pre-paid for, and we have to follow strict MPI guidelines. The milk needs to be collected within 30 hours of us milking, and it has a four-day use-by date," she said.

"Shops have had to register themselves with MPI and we are incredibly grateful to BettaElectrical, Nature's Nuture, Cornucopia, Chantal's, Tangaroa Seafoods and Unichem Pharmacy Taradale for doing that," she said.

She said the farm was nearly back to delivering at "normal capacity" after a six-week non-working gap which left the family in a financial crisis, nearly "crippling" them.

"We are delivering four days a week to depots for 1500 customers, and approximately 4500 litres of milk," she said.

"This is more viable, our customers have easier access and the milk is available far more safely.

"We are really hoping to push our market in Hawke's Bay, and are working through the process to get to our customers in Taupō and Gisborne."

Under MPI rules farmers can sell raw drinking milk directly to consumers either at their farm or by home delivery.

Farmers, depot operators, and people transporting raw milk need to meet certain requirements to minimise risks to public health.