26 Jun 2014

Poppy contract returns to RSA

10:08 pm on 26 June 2014

The contract to make New Zealand's Anzac day poppies is back with Christchurch's Returned and Services Association after three years of manufacturing in China.

The Christchurch RSA lost the contract to make the poppies in 2010 when the organisation's national council put it up for tender to cut costs.

Christchurch RSA president Pete Dawson said a new automated system for assembling the poppies means that they can be offered to RSAs more cheaply than when they were put together by hand.

Mr Dawson said he was pleased the work was back where it belonged.

The contract had previously been with Kilmarnock Enterprises which helped people with disabilities find work and chief executive Michelle Sharp is disappointed they will no longer be involved.

"The thing about the poppy is everyone can make a poppy. Unfortunately not everyone can do some of the other things we do like dismantling televisions, so the poppy was a very valuable contract from that perspective."

One million poppies were distributed throughout the country last year and raised $1.6 million for the RSA welfare fund.