Hamstrung over pork supply

Pig farmers and butchers are advising locals to order their Christmas hams before it's too late.

It comes after Pork New Zealand chief executive Owen Symmans warned of the production drop in New Zealand farms.

Mr Symmans also warned that if locals failed to order early, they may have to buy imported pork, which wouldn't be of the "same quality".

Waitaki Bacon and Ham's Gus Morton was unaware of the advice given by Pork New Zealand, but said it came as no surprise.

"Given where the industry has been in the last 12 months," he said.

Issues such as pork being sourced from overseas producers, with about 50 per cent of the pork consumed in New Zealand imported and the high price of pig feed are contributing factors, said Mr Morton.

"We are only price takers, not price setters," he said.

Mr Morton said he doesn't believe pork is consumed enough in New Zealand homes and ham has become a delicacy in homes over the festive season.

Every year, Waitaki Bacon and Ham run out of ham legs over the Christmas period.

Havoc Farm's Linda McCallum-Jackson said she suspected orders would be closed by next week.

"We had people ordering their hams in January," she said.

"We are still taking orders madly at the moment."

Customers have been told to get their orders in early to avoid disappointment, she said.

Campbell's Butchery's Tony Campbell said it would pay to pre-order hams early.

"It would save any upsets of missing out," he said.

Mr Campbell said Campbell's would be suppling more than one thousand hams, over Christmas.

About 90 per cent of the pork Campbell's Butchery sells is local with the other 10 per cent being supplied from other farms in New Zealand.