Hard look at animal welfare

A hard-hitting report from the Winter Grazing Taskforce has made 11 recommendations to improve animal welfare in intensive winter grazing farm systems, but not all industry leaders agree with them.

Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor established the taskforce in response to concerns about the impacts on animal welfare from some intensive winter grazing practices, especially in Southland, last winter.

However, the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) said it found no breaches of the Animal Welfare Act during last winter’s grazing season in Southland.

The recommendations include more research into the welfare of animals farmed under intensive winter grazing practices and more surveillance to ensure welfare standards are being met.

The taskforce calls for provisions such as animals being able to lay comfortably on a soft, dry surface, an ability to move animals to shelter or dry land in adverse weather, and access to an adequately balanced diet.

The report said some things should never happen, including animals giving birth on mud.

Highlighted in the report was the fact that there is no agreed set of standards among farmers for good animal welfare, and what some consider good practice still exposes animals to poor welfare.

DairyNZ strategy and investment leader Dr Jenny Jago said her organisation plus Beef+Lamb New Zealand and Federated Farmers had talked with the taskforce about the objectives being more practical for outdoor, pasture-based systems.

‘‘Some of the recommendations made under the premise of ‘always’ and ‘never’ to take place is unrealistic in our pasture-based system,’’ Jago said.

‘‘The report states farmers should always provide animals with a soft, dry surface to lie on, which in an outdoor system subject to weather conditions is simply not achievable even with the very best management.

‘‘A ‘never’ standard would apply if there was a little bit of rain or a lot of rain, which makes it impractical. Many farmers follow good management practice, which is particularly important in very wet weather or snow events where a ‘plan B’ ensures farmers keep stock off the crop for periods of inclement weather.’’

The report called for more active surveillance during the winter grazing season.

Environment Southland chief executive Rob Phillips said the regional council had a robust compliance monitoring scheme in place for winter grazing.

‘‘We are particularly interested in working with the ministry and industry to better understand the barriers to adopting good practice.’’

Clutha–Southland MP Hamish Walker, who earlier this year said the taskforce was ‘‘more money down the drain’’, said the report recommended a lot of what he believed the majority of farmers were already doing.

NZ First primary industries spokesman Mark Patterson said the report highlighted a degree of non-compliance, but lifting animal welfare outcomes was not only the responsibility of farmers.

‘‘The report makes it clear this responsibility is shared across the pastoral farming supply chain.’’

O’Connor has asked MPI to work with farmers and industry groups, and the next step will be to form an action group to implement the recommendations.