NZ Pork sets record straight
Chief executive tackles misconceptions
NZ Pork chief executive David Baines replies to the From the Editor’s Desk opinion editorial (June 25) and addresses some misconceptions:
“Under level 4 lockdown, pigs could not be sent to the abattoir and a 70kg sow could put on 5kg a week [so] she would not fit into her crate.”
This paragraph confuses two types of pigs on a farm — that is, breeding sows and grower-finisher pigs.
The pigs that weigh about 70kg are “growerfinishers,” which increase their weight by 5kg a week.
It was these pigs that were delayed from being sent for processing, not sows. Finisher pigs are not held in any type of crate.
Adult breeding sows weigh about 280kg.
During the Covid lockdown there was never a case of a sow being too big to fit in farrowing quarters.
Farrowing crates should not be confused with “sow crates” which have been banned in New Zealand since 2015 — although they are still used in many countries that export pork into this country.
Indoor pig farmers here use farrowing crates in their farrowing pens to protect piglets from being crushed by their mothers. These pens enable sows to be on their own and not have to compete for food.
They also help stockpersons to interact safely with these very large sows, while also taking care of newborn piglets.
Secondly, the comment: “During lockdown we had an animal welfare crisis happening.”
During alert levels 4 and 3 there was an estimated surplus of about 5000 pigs a week.
However, an animal welfare crisis was averted through a number of measures, including substituting imported pork with NZ born and reared product, and through the Government buying the equivalent of 2000 pigs a week to supply foodbanks.
Thirdly, this: “They should not be in crates but allowed to roam freely and graze on the land.” Farming pigs is unique. Pigs have a greater need for shelter and their social and dietary requirements are more complex than for sheep and cattle.
Many farmers choose to house their pigs indoors where they are well protected from the weather and the ventilation, temperature and humidity and hygiene can all be controlled best for the pigs. More than 95 per cent of commercial pig farms in NZ are certified under the PigCare programme. This is an annual audit that ensures farms meet the requirements of the Code of Welfare and animal welfare regulations.
Many of the countries that export pork into New Zealand do not have such high animal welfare standards.