NZ pork offered award for farrowing crate cruelty

SAFE supporters attempted to present the NZ Pork Board with an award recognising the inherent cruelty in their continued use of farrowing crates, at their annual award dinner in Auckland yesterday evening. They were offered a unique piece of New Zealand artwork depicting a pig in a farrowing crate, along with a certificate recognising NZ Pork’s contribution to cruelty in New Zealand farming, while a peaceful protest was held outside the venue.

“While pork industry representatives were dining and slapping each other on the back at their awards ceremony, mother pigs are suffering, incarcerated in cages so small they can’t turn around and can only lie down with difficulty. SAFE’s award recognises NZ Pork for their outstanding performance in cruel exploitation of mother pigs for profit,” says SAFE head of campaigns Marianne Macdonald.

The pork industry has a history of resistance to animal welfare improvements. NZ Pork fought hard to stop sow stalls being outlawed and are doing the same with farrowing crates. With huge public support, we got a ban on sow stalls back in 2015. Farrowing crates are just a slightly different cage causing the same cruelty.

According to the Ministry for Primary Industries, around 40 per cent of NZ farmers do not use any crates when their sows are farrowing. Numerous scientific studies show that effective alternatives to farrowing crates exist. A Parliamentary select committee is currently considering the future of the farrowing crate. The Labour Party and the Green Party committed to banning them prior to the election.

There are already effective alternatives to farrowing crates that are in use both here and overseas. Enough of the excuses. It’s time for the remainder of NZ pig farmers to move with the times and stop caging mother pigs.

Take action

Contact your MP to let them know you want a ban on farrowing crates.