The merino company has found industry breaches. Photo: supplied Riley Kennedy
Clarification: This story has been updated to clarify issues around the farmers suspended and the companies involved.
Two farmers have been temporarily suspended as part of a New Zealand Merino Company investigation into allegations around animal welfare at some of its supplier's farms.
But the company says its independent investigation found its suppliers' farms were well maintained and sheep were healthy, though it did find some breaches of standards.
The investigation was launched after animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) released an exposé into 11 sheep farms and shearing sheds across Aotearoa, raising animal welfare concerns for the sheep being shorn.
The Merino company launched an investigation but it says much of the footage released by PETA has been wrongly attributed to its programme.
Among a number of actions, it has stood down two farmers for breaches of standards in handling animals, though it is not for footage in the videos.
It found issues related to inadequate training and supervision of staff and contractors, minimising animal stress and best practice animal handling, leading to sanctions against the farmers.
PETA's video footage showed what it called atrocities, including workers standing on a sheep's neck, dragging them across the floor and sewing up a bloody wound without pain relief.
PETA said it was taken at Hunter Valley in Otago, though the Merino Company says Hunter Valley does not supply ZQ merino wool for it.
New Zealand Merino company employed independent investigator Auditor Control Union to look into two farms identified in the videos, and found breaches of ZQ and the Responsible Wool Standard.
Chief executive Angus Street said there was no evidence of mistreatment.
The investigator did a further 50 full site inspections at other ZQ-supplier sites as part of a wider investigation.
It issued 35 corrective actions, mostly on documentation and record keeping.
There are a further nine corrective actions pending from the investigator to be resolved within 30 days.
The merino company said it's focussed on enhancing its ZQ programme.
PETA said all farms targeted in its investigation supplied ZQ-certified wool, which is described as the "world's leading ethical wool brand" - but the New Zealand Merino Company disputes this.
In a statement, PETA vice president Jason Baker said it was unsurprising that New Zealand Merino Company was trying to defend, deflect and deny the claims, rather than addressing them.
Baker said despite the claim the farms were not a ZQ facility, they refused to explain why ZQ-branded boxes were being used on site.
PETA says video footage captured on New Zealand farms exposes the cruelty involved in sheep shearing. Photo: Supplied / PETA Asia
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