Proposed industry changes in the way pigs are farmed are making better sense, but they will still mean a painful transition for pig farmers.
So says North Canterbury commercial pig farmer Sean Molloy, who said what the industry is proposing is way more on the mark than the unworkable plans the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (NZWAC) signalled to the government “but still challenging financially and management-wise”.
The New Zealand pork sector recently unveiled alternative proposals to improve pig welfare that represent the industry’s most significant changes in a generation.
NZPork outlined the proposed alternative approach in its submission on the Proposed Code of Welfare for Pigs and Associated Regulations, urging the government to work with the pig-farming sector to confirm the industry-supported alternative standards and agree to an implementation plan that is achievable for pig farmers while ensuring their farms remain financially viable.
The proposed alternatives include reducing the maximum time farrowing crates can be used from the current 33 days to no more than seven, increasing the minimum space allowance for grower pigs, and eliminating the use of mating stalls for housing sows.
Molloy said the industry’s proposal around space allowance makes sense, but the farrowing is a double-edge sword.
“It’s early days, the technology is still being developed, the rest of the world is not using it yet.
“There will be a lot of cost and a lot to learn, it will be a painful transition both in management and financially.
“It will be like a paradigm shift, a step change that’s for sure,” Molloy said.
The changes would place NZ’s standards beyond those required in the United Kingdom, European Union, United States, Canada, Australia and China, all of which collectively produce the majority of the world’s pork and supply most of NZ’s imported pork.
“It will make us less competitive on the global scene,” Molloy said.
“We will be looking for government support by making countries exporting pork to NZ meet the same welfare standards.
“We are happy to change but on a level playing field. All we are asking for is fair and equal standards and regulations, otherwise we are severely disadvantaged,” Molloy said.
NZPork chief executive Brent Kleiss said the industry supports the need for change but the proposals released by NAWAC in its Draft Code of Welfare for pigs would have unintended negative animal welfare outcomes and drive many pig farmers out of business.
“While NAWAC is an expert committee, it has no expertise or understanding of pig farming,” Kleiss said.
He said the sector has worked with technical advisors to develop alternative proposals based on a rigorous in-depth review of contemporary pig welfare science and good practice.
They are substantial and meaningful, and collectively demonstrate welfare standards that go beyond all major pork-producing countries.
The proposals include ensuring all sows are provided with nesting material before farrowing. The change from up to 33 days in the farrowing crates to no more than seven are to balance sow behavioural needs with piglet protection.
The minimum space allowance for growing pigs would be increased by 13%.
The proposals seek to retain an outcome-based approach to deciding when piglets should be weaned, which would better cater for the welfare needs of both sows and piglets, rather than adopting a prescribed and inflexible minimum weaning age as is proposed by NAWAC.
Kleiss acknowledged the alternative proposals would still be costly to implement.
NZPork believes the costs of NAWAC’s proposals are likely to be as much as $10,000-$20,000 per sow on a standard farrow to finish operation, the equivalent of more than 20 years’ profit.
“Our own industry proposals will still need government support along with adequate time to implement change.
“The alternatives we propose are based on sound animal welfare science and are more achievable to implement.”
NZPork is urging the government to require imported pork to be held to the same higher welfare standards.
The changes proposed by NAWAC are not supported by international pig welfare science and they would lead to additional piglet deaths and pig farms shutting down. This would make New Zealanders rely on even greater volumes of imported pork produced using practices that are illegal in NZ, Kleiss said.
