Calls To Ban Abortions In NZ's Dairy Industry

The New Zealand Green party has added its voice to others calling for a ban on the controversial use of an abortion drug by New Zealand dairy farmers, fearing that it has the potential to damage the country's green reputation as other countries turn to more responsible and sustainable  farming methods.


Dairy farmers in New Zealand have for generations routinely administered the drug to their pregnant cows, terminating fetuses at all stages of gestation, so that milking may start earlier in the season.

The practice, which has been described as "callous and unethical" by NZ animal welfare advocacy group SAFE, was the subject of a TVNZ report shown on NZ television yesterday. See link

Safe's media release, which may be found on its website HERE, stated:

"Dairy farmers deliberately birth thousands of calves prematurely each year in a practice known as "inducing". The vet gives the cows two injections, so their calves will be born 8-12 weeks premature. It's done to get all cows in a herd to calve at the same time, and produce milk earlier. It means many calves are born dead, but some are born still alive and have to be euthanised.
But many vets, including Bernice Mangnall from Canterbury, are against the practice.
"Times have changed, public perception has changed and the requirements on the overseas market have changed," she said. "So this is just moving it on .... and phasing it out."
Hans Kriek from SAFE is among the critics calling for the practice to be banned.
"No one actually realises what we do in this industry and how cruel it actually is," he told ONE News. "New Zealand could seriously pay a price over this, so it's really in the dairy industry's own interests to stop this practice."
The issue has become an ethical dilemma for New Zealand's $6 billion dairy industry, with approximately 200,000 cows induced in New Zealand each year. Farmers say it's a valuable management tool, but are divided on its use..."

According to SAFE's statement although a decision was made to end inductions last October there is no strict auditing of the practice being carried out.

The average size of a herd in Canterbury is approximately 700, so some farmers will induce up to 100 cows.
Inductions were introduced 40 years ago. They are legal but the government's code of welfare for dairy cattle says it's best practice not to do them.
The industry originally agreed to end inductions in October but it has since decided to gradually phase them out.
Fonterra does not support the practice, but still collects milk from farmers who induce. There is no strict auditing of the induction practice.

The Green's media release tells us that it's only the Minister of Agriculture who can ban the induction of dairy cows and make the NZ dairy industry live up to the 'clean, green image' the rest of the world has of it:

Although the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (NAWAC) acknowledged in its 2010 Animal Welfare (Dairy Cattle) Code of Welfare report that induction 'has the potential to affect the welfare of both cow and calf adversely' and states that it does not support induction, the Report is only a recommendation to the Minister of Agriculture who can ban the practice.
"The Minister has the ability to raise animal welfare standards to match those in the organic standards and production rules of BioGro New Zealand, and AsureQuality," said Mr Browning.
"The Minister has the power to 'clean and green' animal welfare and New Zealand primary production very quickly if he can grasp the vision that most consumers and discerning export markets have."
"Leaving it to industry to phase out inductions voluntarily is a cop out. The Minister needs to use his leadership ability on animal welfare just as he has on the ETS and water quality, because he knows what the best markets actually want and he knows what is right." read the whole release here

fortunately, organically reared cows are not subjected to this barbaric practice in New Zealand.

Links to other blog posts you may also be interested in:
NZ Farmers plan to 'factory farm' dairy cows
Vivisection and animal welfare standards in New Zealand

Other
New Zealand's Pig farm horrors exposed:



Dairy factory farming proposed in the UK:

"Campaigners think cows should be like in the Anchor butter advert, with 50 to 100 cows dancing in a field,' he said. 'It is a lovely idea, but not the reality." read the whole article in The Daily Mail.co.uk

Today's posts - click here

Vivisection and Animal Welfare Standards in New Zealand

Against a background of Swine Flu's origin in intensive pig farming the New Zealand pork industry has been drawn into sharp relief again (see NZ Herald and TVNZ reports) when TVNZ's 'Sunday' programme showed shocking footage of pigs kept in cramped stalls and unable unable to turn round, the long term usage of sow stalls and distressed animals frothing at the mouth.

Sow Stalls banned in other countries
New Zealand's animal advocacy organisation SAFE (see Pigs in New Zealand) say that dry stalls, in which sows are kept for all of their 16 week pregnancies measure 0.6 x 2m, just big enough for the sow to stand up and lie down but not move around. The director of SAFE - Hans Kriek said that approximately 45% of sows - 22,000 animals are kept in these conditions in New Zealand.

Sow stalls are banned in the United Kingdom and Sweden and will be soon phased out in Finland, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Denmark.

Farrowing Stalls banned in other countries
SAFE say:
"At the end of their pregnancies sows are transferred to farrowing crates where they will give birth. These are big enough to only allow the sow to stand up and lie down. With no straw for bedding, she scrapes her nose over the bare concrete floor in an attempt to build a nest for her piglets. Her inability to properly mother her piglets only adds further frustration and depression Her piglets will be taken away at a mere four weeks of age. The grieving sow will be impregnated again and returned to the sow stall where the cycle of abuse starts all over again.

• How many New Zealand pig farmers use farrowing crates? 67 per cent.
• Sweden and Switzerland have banned the farrowing crate.
• Most sows have 8-12 piglets each litter.
• Outdoors, pregnant sows construct a private nest apart from the group, in which to give birth to, and suckle, their babies."

The New Zealand pork board have said that pork would rise by 50c a kilo for the producer and $2 a kilo to the consumer if intensive farming was stopped. Is this a price NZ is prepared to pay to ensure the good care and welfare of its farm animals?

In August 2007 animal advocacy organisation SAFE produced video to show the appalling conditions that pigs were kept under see (Youtube video "pig farm horrors exposed") yet little seems to have been done to improve conditions since then so I guess the answer to the above question can only be "No"

Hans Kriek later today named the owner of the pig farm as former New Zealand Pork Industry Board chairman Colin Kay. Kriek was reported as having said he expected a MAF investigation will find the piggery was acting within the law:

"This farm has previously been investigated by MAF, who found nothing in breach of the law. The farm is disgusting but appears to be operating within the law, so we doubt if MAF will find anything different this time.

"If you want to make a stand, walk past the pork line."

Robyn Kippenberger the chief executive of the SPCA has asked for a ban on sow stalls and farrowing crates. She called for Agriculture Minister David Carter "to ensure that the Animal Welfare Code for Pigs was altered, as soon as possible, to ban these cruel practices".

"It is total nonsense for a code that is meant to reflect the humane principles of the 1999 Animal Welfare Act, to allow pigs to be kept for most of their lives in such tight conditions that they can't even turn round."

Pig farmers who continued to use sow stalls and farrowing craters were "behaving in a totally inhumane and unacceptable way, for the sake of short-term profit"

Vivisection on over 300,00 NZ animals inc. dogs and cats
But it's not just New Zealand's pigs that SAFE are very much concerned about. It looks like animal welfare in other sectors of the economy may be an issue, epsecially in vivisection centres (they fall under the same legislation as piggeries - the Animal Welfare Act 1999)

SAFE carried out a four month investigation into a company called VARC (Valley Animal Research Centre) owned by Allen Goldenthal (see: Who is Allen Goldenthal) which has kennels and catteries located in both Hawkes Bay and the Manuwatu, they revealed that:
"beagles and other companion animals are destined for a new wave of New Zealand animal research carried out on behalf of international organisations.

VARC is the first of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere to use beagles for research. Aside from beagles SAFE understands VARC plans to breed cats, horses and rabbits, also for research. While it appears no terminal experiments are taking place right now, the facility is still new. It is likely animals will eventually undergo invasive experiments and be killed. The head of VARC says his animals are necessary research tools in the quest to save human life. The "higher goal" as he describes it.

A total of 318,489 living animals were used for animal research (vivisection) in New Zealand last year. The most recent national figures available reveal 757 cats and 682 dogs were used in 2006. The use of cats and dogs for research in New Zealand has doubled since 2001. Most laboratory animals will suffer. Many will die. None will be loved. If they are lucky, their death will be quick and painless, but most won't be so lucky....."

"Most animal research in New Zealand is aimed at increasing the profits of the meat and dairy industries. 38 per cent of the animals used in 2005 were used by commercial researchers. A further 21 per cent were used by government departments and crown research institutes. The remaining 41 per cent were used in experiments at universities and schools. In 2005, only 4.8 per cent were used in medical research.

Secrecy

Animal research in this country is shrouded in secrecy. Although most of the research is funded with public money, few details are released. The National Animal Ethics Advisory Committee (NAEAC) releases a bland annual report every year assuring us that everything is fine and that the New Zealand regulatory system is one of the best in the world. They say animals are used only when it is absolutely necessary, and that all possible steps are taken to prevent unnecessary and cruel research. This is simply not true.

Painful mutilations, electric shocks, lethal toxicological procedures, cutting, freezing and burning - even without pain relief - are legal. Many laboratory animals are forcibly restrained to undergo cruel experiments that you would never allow your beloved animal companion to endure."