Revelations by ONE News on dairy farming practices are now provoking calls for animal welfare to be stripped from the Agriculture Minister's portfolio.
The Green Party claims it's a conflict of interest, following ONE News stories on farmers inducing cows prematurely so they produce milk earlier.
"We should have a proper minister of animal welfare and not just some Minister of Agriculture who is not prepared on almost any occasion to get offside with farmers, and take leadership on these issues," said Sue Kedgley, Greens MP.
A spokeswoman for the Minister, David Carter, said it's a ridiculous claim.
She says he has put more than $8 million toward animal welfare in the next four years.
Dairy farmers deliberately birth thousands of calves prematurely each year. The vet gives the cows two injections, so their calves will be born 8-12 weeks premature.
The practice is done to get all cows in a herd to calve at the same time, and produce milk earlier. It means many calves are born dead, but some are born still alive and have to be euthanised.
Around 200,000 calves are induced each year and although it's legal, it has become an ethical issue dividing the dairy industry.
What do you think of the farming practice of inducing calves early? Have your say on the message board below:
Add a Comment:
Post new commentSam mac said on 2010-09-28 @ 10:22 NZDT: Report abusive post
Another cheap shot at a soft target for TVNZ, if you are so worried about abortion why don't you show pictures of aborted babies on the six o'clock news. Or is it just dairy farmers you hate. If I was anything to do with dairy farming I would be pulling advertising etc from TVNZ. PS you can't call it inhuman as we do the same thing to millions of babies a year.
yeti said on 2010-09-28 @ 07:57 NZDT: Report abusive post
Neither inducing or human abortion is the problem, the problem lies with peoples pathetic use of superficial medical treatment just to feel 10 years younger and look 20 times more plastic and fake, as fake as mccas cheese. down with botox, put more funding into finding a cure for cancer or some such.
yeti said on 2010-09-28 @ 07:57 NZDT: Report abusive post
Neither inducing or human abortion is the problem, the problem lies with peoples pathetic use of superficial medical treatment just to feel 10 years younger and look 20 times more plastic and fake, as fake as mccas cheese. down with botox, put more funding into finding a cure for cancer or some such.
Dr Philosophical said on 2010-09-28 @ 00:26 NZDT: Report abusive post
This is the most hideous thing I have heard, in relation to farming in NZ. Mr van der Heyden should be removed from his position and charged with this offense against nature. Is there no limit to the cruelty these 'farmers' will go to - putting hens in cages, pigs in crates and now this. A crime against nature and completely offensive. Shame on the farming sector!!
marymolloy said on 2010-09-27 @ 22:49 NZDT: Report abusive post
calving can be more compact if farmers work harder to identify fertile cows and keep stock in good order - I am a farmer with 40 years experience and do not induce, have a compact calving and happy cows. Sound impossible - it is not - induction is the same as abortion in my book, it horrifies me to see calves that are induced, what do our children look like at the same stage of pregnancy when it is still possible to induce/abort them. Think about it, I do.