Coronavirus: Careful management ensures Wanaka dog trials go ahead

Unlike most events around the country last week, the Wanaka Collie Dog Club's dog trials at Glendhu Bay went ahead on Friday, almost as usual.

Club president and farm manager at Lake Hawea Jack Mansfield said with precautions around food handling and personal contact, the club decided it would be safe enough for the event to go ahead, despite Covid-19.

Mansfield said farmers were "quietly confident" their businesses would survive the virus.

"People have still got to eat and drink. So we're feeling pretty confident it's not going to affect us too much."

Secretary Vicki McRae said provided farmers could still get their products shipped overseas, farming could help save the country's economy in the absence of tourism.

McRae said the pandemic "was a chance for the country to really appreciate how much farming is the backbone of our country, and we hope that the public will maybe support the farmers a little more".