Europe Dampens NZ Farmer Confidence
NEW ZEALAND - Federated Farmers mid-season Farm Confidence Survey, conducted in January 2012, reveals farmer confidence in the general economy has turned negative for the first time since July 2009. Europe...

Tougher Rules on Feeding Pigs Waste Food Needed
NEW ZEALAND - New Zealand Pork has told the Government it needs to strengthen the regulations that control the feeding of waste food to pigs.

Consumers Urged to Buy NZ Pork These Holidays
NEW ZEALAND - Christmas ham shoppers received a stern reminder from NZPork today to be wary of poorly labelled imported ham.

New Code Released on Welfare for Animal Transport
NEW ZEALAND - Minimum standards of animal welfare and recommended best practices for everyone involved in transporting animals in New Zealand were outlined in a new code of welfare issued last week by...

Canterbury Bans Pigs and Cows Near Waterways
NEW ZEALAND - Pigs and cows are to be banned from entering all lakes, streams and rivers in Canterbury in a move to clean up waterways around the most intensive farms in the region.

New Tool for Foot and Mouth Preparedness
NEW ZEALAND - The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is launching a new tool to help staff at meat processing plants recognise and respond to an incursion of foot and mouth disease in stock, as part...

NZ Pork Producers Gather at Parliament
NEW ZEALAND - Pork farmers have gathered at Parliament to discuss the risk that Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) poses to their animals and their industry.

NZ Pig Farmers Protest Against MAF Changes
NEW ZEALAND - Pig farmers from around the North Island gathered outside Parliament with MPs today to protest proposals to lower imported pork standards that will expose New Zealand to a "devastating disease"...

NZ Pork Board Criticises Agricultural Officials
NEW ZEALAND - The high stakes involved in allowing imports of raw pork that might contain a potentially deadly pig disease could have meant agriculture officials took a more conservative approach, a judge...

New Zealand Pork Farmers Want Tougher Rules
NEW ZEALAND - New Zealand pig farmers who say a deadly pig disease could arrive in the country in imports of raw meat are arguing for a very conservative scientific view to enforce protectionism, a judge...

NZ Pork Challenges MAF Import Standards
NEW ZEALAND - The pork industry is going back to the High Court in efforts to stop imports of uncooked pork.

Pork Import Battle Goes to Court
NEW ZEALAND - The country's pig producers are going to court later this month to try to prevent imports of pork which, they say, present a significant risk of bringing PRRS into the country which is still...

Growing Support for Raw Pork Import Ban
NEW ZEALAND - Politicians have joined the pork industry in opposing raw meat imports.

MAF to Defend Health Standards for Pork Imports
NEW ZEALAND - The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) will be defending in court its decision to allow the importation of fresh uncooked pork from Canada, the EU, Mexico and the USA.

Green Party Criticises Proposed Meat Import Rules
NEW ZEALAND - The Green Party has added its voice to the criticism of the government's decision to relax health check on imported pig meat.

Industry Concerned about Imported Disease
NEW ZEALAND - New Zealand Pork is deeply concerned about new Ministry of Agriculture & Forestry (MAF) standards issued today (13 April 2011) that relax biosecurity around imported pork.

Pork Prices Expected to Rise with Crate Ban
NEW ZEALAND - A ban on sow crates will mean price rises and some farmers may be driven out of the industry, the Pork Industry Board says.

New Code of Welfare for NZ Pigs Released
NEW ZEALAND - The Animal Welfare (Pigs) Code of Welfare 2010, released today by the Minister of Agriculture, encourages all those responsible for pigs to adopt the highest standards of husbandry, care...

Phasing Out of Gestation Stalls Gets Support
NEW ZEALAND - The New Zealand pork industry supports the phasing out of gestation stalls by December 2015, announced today by Agriculture Minister David Carter.

Bid to Free Caged Pigs and Chickens Slammed
NEW ZEALAND - The Government is opposing a bill which aims to free chickens and pigs from constraining cages.

Civil Disobedience Leads Pig Protestor to Court
NEW ZEALAND - New Zealand Open Rescue activist John Darroch, will appear in Hamilton District Court at 10am tomorrow defending charges after chaining himself to a piggery in Roto-O-Rangi near Cambridge...

National Should Sort Out Pork Iindustry Concerns
NEW ZEALAND - Minister David Carter needs to step up and resolve the growing concerns in the pork industry, says Labour Agriculture spokesperson Damien O’Connor.

Government Must Demand Release of Pig Audits
NEW ZEALAND - The Pork Industry Board's attempt to evade the Official Information Act on top of its stalling attempts to strengthen any new pig welfare code shows the need for urgent government intervention,...

Proposed Pork Labelling Scheme is Misleading
NEW ZEALAND - The Royal New Zealand SPCA is concerned that the proposed new pork industry labelling system runs the risk of misleading consumers. Proposed 'Welfare Approved' wording is confusing and will...

Documents Reveal New Zealand Pork Defiant
NEW ZEALAND - The pork industry has again come under scrutiny after documents released under the Official Information Act reveal the industry will not accept a ban on pig crates and wants to confine pregnant...

Fears Welfare Code Will Disadvantage NZ Farmers
NEW ZEALAND - A number of submitters to a new pig welfare code are calling for a levy to be imposed on pork imported from countries that do not meet the animal welfare standards it sets.

NZ Pork Board Watches EU Animal Welfare Standards
NEW ZEALAND - New Zealand's Pork Industry Board is keeping a close eye on animal welfare standards in the European Union, after reports it's going ahead with plans to restrict the use of sow stalls.

NZ Pork Imports Under More Scrutiny
NEW ZEALAND - Federated Farmers says its concerns over biosecurity standards for pork imports have been vindicated by an independent review which has told the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF)...

Independent Panel Asks MAF to Restart on Pork
NEW ZEALAND - An independent expert panel has given twenty-nine recommendations for the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) to correct deficiencies in both the process and conclusions drawn during...

Pork Industry Takes Steps to Ensure Animal Care
NEW ZEALAND - The Pork Industry Board says it is taking steps to ensure farmers are looking after their animals while it waits for the outcome of a new welfare code.