The Country
  • The Country home
  • Latest news
  • Audio & podcasts
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life
  • Listen on iHeart radio

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • Coast & Country News
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Horticulture
  • Animal health
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life

Media

  • Podcasts
  • Video

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whāngarei
  • Dargaville
  • Auckland
  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Hamilton
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Te Kuiti
  • Taumurunui
  • Taupō
  • Gisborne
  • New Plymouth
  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Whanganui
  • Palmerston North
  • Levin
  • Paraparaumu
  • Masterton
  • Wellington
  • Motueka
  • Nelson
  • Blenheim
  • Westport
  • Reefton
  • Kaikōura
  • Greymouth
  • Hokitika
  • Christchurch
  • Ashburton
  • Timaru
  • Wānaka
  • Oamaru
  • Queenstown
  • Dunedin
  • Gore
  • Invercargill

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • What the Actual
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / The Country

Covid-19 coronavirus: Tonnes of export meat donated to Waikato charities as household hardship starts to bite

By Andrea Fox
Herald business writer·NZ Herald·
14 Apr, 2020 10:50 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Ten tonnes of export quality mince has been donated to Hamilton charities. Photo / 123RF

Ten tonnes of export quality mince has been donated to Hamilton charities. Photo / 123RF

The next six months will see real hardship in communities says a meat company boss who has donated 10 tonnes of export quality mince to charities and is encouraging other corporates to step up.

Greenlea Premier Meats managing director Tony Egan said the Waikato company would regularly review community food need from now on because families were starting to struggle amid virus-driven unemployment and household food shortages.

The meat, in 1kg and 500g packages, would retail for more than $100,000 and has been delivered to the Salvation Army and St Vincent de Paul in Hamilton to distribute. Local refrigerated transport company Halls Roadways delivered the meat for free.
READ MORE:
• Meat processing rivals unite to tackle coronavirus turmoil
• Coronavirus: Greenlea takes the measure of the virus in accidental quirk

"We will probably do more because in the next six months there's going to be real hardship in our community. We're hearing that people who had some food stocked away at the start of the lockdown are now running out and social agencies are gearing up for requests for help," said Egan.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Greenlea managing director Tony Egan. Photo / Supplied
Greenlea managing director Tony Egan. Photo / Supplied

"I really just want to encourage corporates and others to show community spirit at this time."

Egan said at least one Greenlea farmer supplier so far had donated two cattle, valued at nearly $2000, to the effort.

Greenlea, a family-owned beef processor and exporter, employs more than 360 people at plants in Hamilton and Morrinsville.

It is operating through the lockdown as an essential industry.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Greenlea is well-known in the region for its philanthropy.

The company heavily sponsors the central North Island rescue helicopter and is a major community benefactor through its Greenlea Foundation Trust.

NeedToKnow3
NeedToKnow3

• Covid19.govt.nz: The Government's official Covid-19 advisory website

Discover more

Milk price forecast: Why it's a good time to be a food producer

15 Apr 04:00 AM
Save

    Share this article

Latest from The Country

The Country

On The Up: Hawke's Bay winery turns noble rot into sweet wine success

16 May 06:00 PM
The Country

NZ’s timber industry braces for tough times ahead

16 May 05:00 PM
The Country

'Radical change': Possible crayfish ban for Northland's east coast

16 May 05:00 PM

The Hire A Hubby hero turning handyman stereotypes on their head

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from The Country

On The Up: Hawke's Bay winery turns noble rot into sweet wine success

On The Up: Hawke's Bay winery turns noble rot into sweet wine success

16 May 06:00 PM

Askerne Wines has used Botrytis on semillon grapes since 1999.

NZ’s timber industry braces for tough times ahead

NZ’s timber industry braces for tough times ahead

16 May 05:00 PM
'Radical change': Possible crayfish ban for Northland's east coast

'Radical change': Possible crayfish ban for Northland's east coast

16 May 05:00 PM
Premium
'Frightened all the time': Inside a $3m kiwifruit tax evasion scam

'Frightened all the time': Inside a $3m kiwifruit tax evasion scam

16 May 05:00 PM
Gold demand soars amid global turmoil
sponsored

Gold demand soars amid global turmoil

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • What the Actual
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven CarGuide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP