Animal welfare Spin is Cruel Talk
Soil & Health Association of New Zealand (Est.
1941)
Publishers of ORGANIC NZ
MEDIA RELEASE 19-09-06
Federated Farmers President Charlie Pederson’s spin on caged animal welfare is cruel talk, when there are far more humane options available according to Soil & Health.
Mr Pederson was commenting on battery farming of poultry and pigs on TV3’s 60 minutes program last night.
“For Mr Pederson to repeat that the animals were likely to be safer and in better conditions than free range alternatives is a case of outright denial of the obvious”, said Soil & Health spokesperson Steffan Browning, ‘Mr Pederson should not be the apologist for those farmers that choose to continue barbaric methods of production.”
Caged and extremely stressed pigs were shown along with footage of battery chickens dead and alive, and also of dead and impoverished cows from the recent successful prosecution of a dairy farm manager.
“
Federated Farmers have plenty of members that are very
humane in their animal management and any attempt to defend
the level of greed based cruelty shown by 60 Minutes would
be better left to those directly responsible.”
“Mr
Pederson would be better showing the good examples of
organic farming where intensification is limited and pigs
and poultry have an opportunity to express some natural
behaviour, see the light of day and know what it is like to
walk normally,” said Mr Browning.
BioGro Production
Standards for example state that poultry must have
unrestricted access to outside runs, which must provide
access to fresh grass or a forage crop containing a
diversity of species.
The BioGro Standards also prohibit
factory farming or intensive livestock farming in enclosures
with no pastoral access. Herd animals must not be kept
individually.
“The real issues of intensification and animal welfare need facing up to and addressing,” said Mr Browning, “and while maintaining a good livelihood, organic producers and most of their neighbours are able to treat their livestock with far more respect than those on the 60 minutes program.”
Soil & Health appreciates 60 Minutes Rod Vaughn, author Jeffery Mason and zoologist Dr Michael Morris for giving some insight into New Zealand factory farming.
ENDS