-
Source: ONE News -
Watch Video
-
Related
Animal welfare investigators will inspect a pig farm at the centre of an animal welfare probe as soon as campaigners reveal where the property is, Agriculture Minister David Carter says.
TVNZ's Sunday programme aired a story in which Comedian Mike King along with animal activists, broke into a crate pig farm.
Carter is urging animal welfare group SAFE to reveal the location of the property so it can be inspected by Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry animal welfare investigators.
"The television images were disturbing. It is essential we find out if this intensive pig farming operation is in breach of the Animal Welfare Act," he says.
"If SAFE has the welfare of these animals at heart, it needs to provide details of the property today so the authorities can the take appropriate action. I have asked MAF to undertake an inspection as soon as we know the farm's location."
When shown the images, Carter said he wasn't aware of the extent to which pigs were confined.
King described the animals are looking "despairing, terrified and lost". He says you could hear them, and smell them from "from a mile way." He now says he would never have fronted an advertising campaign promoting pork had he known how pigs are treated in crate farming.
Animal rights group Save Animals from Exploitation's director Hans Kriek says such cage farming is widespread.
The pigs were touching the sides of the 60cm wide and 2m long cages and couldn't turn around.
Some pigs can live for up to five years in a cage, he says.
Kriek says the Minister would be given the farm's location, most likely by Tuesday, but expressed concern Carter was "playing games to a degree".
He said Carter was attempting to "dilute" the issue by making it out to be a rogue farm, not typical of those found around the country.
`This is an average New Zealand farm," Kriek says.
Green Party animal welfare spokesperson Sue Kedgley has criticised Carter's apparent lack of knowledge regarding pig farms after being shown the footage on the Sunday programme.
"Mr Carter looked shocked and said he had no idea sow stalls were widely used in New Zealand," Kedgley says.
"I am incredulous that the minister, who has been chair of Parliament's agriculture select committee for three years, would not know sow crates are used widely by New Zealand pig industry."
The Ministry has the power to prosecute owners and those in
charge of animals found to be in breach of the Animal Welfare
Act.
What are your thoughts on pig farming in New Zealand? Share on the message board below:
Add a Comment:
Post new commentChrisNoaro said on 2010-07-24 @ 20:18 NZDT: Report abusive post
People need to realise that pigs will continue to be abused like this until we stop eating them. Farming and the meat indutry need to keep costs down to stay competitive so the interests of animals will always be low on the list. Also on the subject of free range - KILLING SOMETHING ISN'T TREATING IT NICELY.
trudiu said on 2010-07-24 @ 18:06 NZDT: Report abusive post
Well done again to Close up, and SAFE. Great to see this back in the spotlight. The biggest thing people can do to help these pigs is go vegan.
Freeranger said on 2010-07-24 @ 13:03 NZDT: Report abusive post
only to be replaced on the supermarket shelves by substandard imports
Freeranger said on 2010-07-24 @ 13:01 NZDT: Report abusive post
Hi,whilst I do not approve of the cruelty, I have a problem with Safe condemning all farmers.In fact it is the outdoor piggeries that are feeling it the hardest when demand goes down. Most outdoor pork producers have higher costs and getter mortality but get the same price as indoor guys which is set by what processors can import from overseas, which is garanteed to be from stalls. So lets support kiwi farmers try to improve instead of running the outdoor piggeries out of business.
whiteheron said on 2010-07-24 @ 12:26 NZDT: Report abusive post
Come on!! This is supposed to be NZ and this is not the NZ way of farming disgusting we should boycott all commercial pork products for 6 months and go back to buying from the local butcher who buys from local farms that have a good working ethic. Lets face it there are good healthy pig farms out there and scenes like this destroy their reputation as well.