MEDIA RELEASE
19 July 2009

Pig Welfare Conference:
All Fat Porkies And Marketing Spin!

Pig welfare campaigners will confront the country’s largest intensive pig producers tomorrow, demanding that they take a responsible approach to pig welfare by supporting an immediate ban of cruel pig crates.

National animal advocacy organisation SAFE says the industry remains defiant and unresponsive to calls for improved pig welfare in New Zealand, despite overwhelming national outrage over how the industry treats pigs.

“Despite what they say publicly, the pork industry has no intention to stop using cruel pig crates. Pig producers want to use pig crates indefinitely but limit their use to 20 weeks per year. We expect the pig industry will strongly oppose any recommendations to ban crates in the upcoming code review,” says SAFE campaign officer Sacha Dowell.

“Let’s not forget the industry talks about animal welfare and consumer needs at almost every conference, yet they will not stop using cruel practices, nor support product labelling of pig meat to inform consumers of how the pigs have been reared,” says Ms Dowell.

The New Zealand pork industry will hold its two-day national conference and AGM in Christchurch tomorrow at the luxury five-star Crowne Plaza Hotel.

“Despite the vast negative media attention, massive reduction of pork sales, the recession and claims it is uneconomic to rear pigs outdoors, the producers enjoy, for the second year in a row, luxury five-star accommodation while their pigs suffer inside small crates or concrete pens,” says Ms Dowell.

“Many of the 700,000 pigs reared in New Zealand are deprived of space and bedding and are forced to lie in faecal matter their entire lives.”

SAFE will stage a demonstration outside the Crowne Plaza Hotel from 8.15am on Monday 20 July (corner of Durham Street North and Kilmore Street). The Minister of Agriculture David Carter and New Zealand Pork Industry Board chairman, Chris Trengrove, will give the opening address from 8.30am.

ENDS

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