From left Paul Ashton, Mike Ashton and Bryan Donovan of raw milk business, Lindsay Farm Dairy, Waipukurau. Photo / File
From left Paul Ashton, Mike Ashton and Bryan Donovan of raw milk business, Lindsay Farm Dairy, Waipukurau. Photo / File
Staunch Hawke's Bay raw milk supporters are vowing to fight the Ministry for Primary Industries' search warrants of what it says are "non-compliant" suppliers.
Lindsay Farm in Waipukurau, one of New Zealand's largest raw milk producers and suppliers, was raided by MPI this week and told to halt raw milkproduction immediately.
The farm, which has declined to talk to Hawke's Bay Today while seeking legal advice, was one of several suppliers across New Zealand visited by MPI compliance staff with search warrants this week.
Raw milk supplied by Lindsay Farm. Photo / Lindsay Farm
MPI said it had executed the search warrants on what it said were unregistered and "non-compliant" suppliers, following a year-long operation.
"The Government is making it harder for people to make a choice, it's taking away their right to choose."
Phillips said she was intending to set up a Givealittle page to help the Ashtons in a legal fight against MPI.
From left Paul Ashton, Mike Ashton and Bryan Donovan of raw milk business, Lindsay Farm Dairy, Waipukurau. Photo / File
From March 1, 2016, regulations were introduced requiring registered farmers to sell raw milk directly from the farm gate or by home delivery.
Collection points were no longer allowed.
Customers buying raw milk were asked to supply their contact details, so they could be reached if a batch of milk failed hygiene or pathogen testing.
"I used to be able to get it directly from the farm gate because I live close by, but for people who want to buy raw milk, the choice is no longer available", Phillips said.
"I collected mine yesterday from Waipawa."
Lindsay Farm, a Central Hawke's Bay business is a 100ha family-owned and operated farm.
It has been run organically for more than 13 years and has been producing raw milk for more than nine years.
Owner of Cornucopia Organics in Hastings, Kaye Keats is an occasional raw milk consumer.
Her shop, co-owned with husband Alan, was a collection point for Lindsay Farm's raw milk.
She said MPI had gone into their shop on Wednesday and seized all the raw milk, with the purpose of disposing it.
"They didn't give any warning. I was actually out getting paper bags at the time when they arrived.
"We had five or six crates of raw milk, each bottle is a two-litre bottle and each crate takes about eight bottles.
"I told MPI they didn't have any right to take it because it belongs to customers because they have paid for it.
"It's prepaid, totally prepaid. We are just a collection point. No money changes hands.
"They [MPI] feel the supplier of raw milk was operating illegally."
Kaye Keats, owner of Cornucopia Organics is a staunch raw milk supporter. Photo / File.
Keats said MPI staff were "quite officious, not rude, but disruptive to business".
Keats said they had been a collection point for Lindsay Farm's raw milk for at least five years.
"Yesterday Paul Ashton had been in touch with us apologising for MPI coming in. It's their business, they have cows which need to be milked," Keats said.
