Warning: Readers may find these images distressing
Animal welfare activists, public submitters and the associate agriculture minister are still at odds around the use of farrowing crates and mating stalls at pig farms, amid the release of covert footage inside one.
The Ministry for Primary Industries was investigating what it called "minor animal welfare issues" at a South Taranaki pig farm, after activists released covert footage from inside the barn using farrowing crates.
MPI animal welfare inspectors visited the farm last week following a complaint it received from animal rights group SAFE relating to footage it received from 'Grassroots Campaign'.
A farrowing sow at a South Taranaki piggery with its piglets near their warmed house. Photo: SUPPLIED/Grassroots Campaign
Videos showed large, lactating sows constrained in farrowing crates, unable to move beyond standing, one with a large open wound, some without water or dirty water only, and some biting the metal bars.
Piglets were able to access the sow for milk and lived separately in heated homes, but had no natural material like hay, and dead piglets were piled up in a rubbish bin.
SAFE chief executive Debra Ashton said farrowing crates were a cruel practice that should be banned, as previous governments had promised.
"That must be a horrible existence for those pigs in those conditions," Ashton said.
A sow pig inside a farrowing crate will be allowed to remain inside it for up to a week under new rules, down from 33 days. Photo: SUPPLIED/Grassroots Campaign
"What we've really seen here is animal cruelty where pigs are confined in those crates that are so small, they can't turn around, look after their piglets properly.
"These are conditions that are typical on a farm that is using farrowing crates, and that I think is our biggest concern that this is business as usual."
Ashton said it received the footage externally from "brave people", and conditions were kept behind closed doors without it.
"We're not asking for anyone to enter a property to get footage. But out of frustration, we can see why people would do this."
A large sow was found with an open wound during a covert filming operation at a South Taranaki pig farm. Photo: SUPPLIED/Grassroots Campaign
She said releasing the footage was not about victimising farmers.
"We are talking about a system that the government is allowing, we're not trying to pick on individual farmers."
Associate Agriculture Minister Andrew Hoggard led legislative changes that sought to amend the minimum standards for pig farming that retained the use of both farrowing crates and mating stalls, but with slightly larger sizes and less time for pigs spent in them.
A sow in a farrowing crate inside an indoor South Taranaki pig farm. Photo: SUPPLIED/Grassroots Campaign
The select committee members reported back to Parliament on Tuesday that the changes could proceed without amendment.
Most public submissions opposed the legislative changes.
Hoggard said the new legislative changes aimed to maximise piglet survivability.
"I know a lot of people out there find the images reasonably confronting. However, that's the whole goal of what it is we're doing, is to actually minimize the time that sows spend in a farrowing crate down to just seven days."
Animal activists took footage form inside a South Taranaki pig farm, raising concerns about the use of farrowing crates for limited a sow's natural behaviours with its piglets. Photo: SUPPLIED/Grassroots Campaign
He said submissions on the changes were looked over for balance, but those affected by the changes like the pork industry must be considered.
"In terms of submissions, well, obviously the animal welfare organisations mobilised a whole bunch of people, and so yep, most of the submissions were opposed," he said.
"But quite frankly, it's not about the number of submissions for or against, because if that's how we decided things in New Zealand, then we wouldn't bother with a Parliament.
"At the end of the day, we have to make a call on what's best for the country, and in terms of our pork industry."
He said MPI investigated the farm, so it was an operational matter he could not specifically comment on.
The Taranaki farm in the videos was approached for comment.
MPI said the farm's "minor welfare issues" were being addressed and inquiries and follow-up inspections were continuing.
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