While agricultural exports are taking a hit due to the coronavirus, Wimmera butchers report being largely unaffected.
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Ararat's Claridges Meats butcher Tom Claridge said while the meat industry was struggling generally, the coronavirus did not appear to have anything to do with it.
"It's more the drought in terms of what's impacting price," he said. "I don't think China has got much to do with it.
"It has slowed down over the last year and we're probably not doing as many lambs as we used to.
"The last five years meat has doubled in price."
Regional Butcher Horsham manager Gary Taylor said it was difficult to gauge any impact the virus had on local trade because the industry was in a period that traditionally saw slower business.
"Our numbers haven't fallen off but it's hard to get a full gauge until after this long weekend," he said.
Mr Taylor said people were still on a summer timetable and that impacted trade.
"Once the long weekend in March finishes everyone gets back together again as a family and start getting back to family oriented meals."
He said in a month's time any impact on trade from the coronavirus would become apparent.
"Anything that's got fresh produce in any way, shape or form, you'll find within a couple of months time when everything is back on a normal routine, everyone will have a hurt line somewhere, whether minor or major," he said.
"All I can say is our numbers through the door have been very good."
Newtons Butchers manager David Newton also said meat prices were being driven north but it had very little to do with the coronavirus.
"It's a shortage of (stock) numbers and we've been in drought for too long, so it's going to take two or three years to recover from that," he said.
"It's a perfect storm really. Drought up the east coast has really knocked things around, and then throw the virus in on top of it then (it becomes harder).
"It's probably alright if you're selling - it's a sellers market.
"It's probably more the export markets that will suffer. I just heard a report that they can't get shipping containers because they're all stuck in China."
Mr Newton said meat prices were likely to increase again over winter.
"Winter will be worse due to a lack of lambs," he said. "We're going through the roof this year."
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