Pig breeding code criticised as cruel
AUSTRALIA - Animal welfare advocates say a proposed code for the breeding of pigs does not go far enough to protect the animals from cruelty.

High Costs for Country of Origin Labelling in Australia
AUSTRALIA - The report, which includes an independent study by the Centre for International Economics, concluded that this benefit to consumers would be outweighed by the costs to industry, which would harm the competitiveness of affected Australian-made...

Farmers Back Push To Bolster Country Of Origin Food Labelling
AUSTRALIA - Western Australian farmers have welcomed a Federal Government move to strengthen country of origin labelling for processed foods.

World Class Scientists Interested In Local Pig Farm
AUSTRALIA - A group of bio-geneticists and veterinary health professionals have been looking over a local pig farm before starting its conversion to a cleaner and healthier farming system. As previously reported in the Witness, the LETU system...

Australian saleyard prices for pigs rise 8%
AUSTRALIA - ABARE pig and poultry outlook.

Pork industry NLIS gets $1.2 million
AUSTRALIA - The Australian Government has taken another major step to strengthen the security of Australian livestock and protect important export markets.

Pork sales reach record levels
AUSTRALIA - It seems pork was the big winner at Christmas tables this year, with sales of hams reaching record levels. The seasonal rush leading into Christmas pushed up consumption of fresh and cured pork products by two kilograms per head. Analyst...

New Country Of Origin Food Labelling Standard Gazetted (Australia Only)
AUSTRALIA - Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) today gazetted the new Country of Origin Food Labelling Standard for Australia. The standard will come into full force for unpackaged fruit, vegetables, nuts and seafood products in six months’...

Pork body rejects free-range call
AUSTRALIA - The peak body representing Australia's pork producers has rejected a call to convert the entire commercial pig herd to free-range production. The animal welfare group Voiceless is calling on consumers to avoid hams this Christmas...

Australian pork industry battles to save itself; imports rise
AUSTRALIA - Pork producers have been moving to save their beleaguered local industry in the face of stiff competition from imports, high input costs and downward pressure on selling prices, Andrew Spencer, chief executive of marketing/services Australian...

PMWS Disease Remains Focus For Pork Industry
AUSTRALIA - Disease prevention will remain the focus of the Australian pork industry following today's refusal by the High Court to hear the industry's appeal against new quarantine protocols for imported pig meat.

Follow-up report on pig disease investigations in Australia
AUSTRALIA - 'You will recall my letter of 6 Jul 2005, in which I reported on investigations being undertaken by state veterinary authorities into incidents potentially involving the disease "post-weaning multisystemic wasting syndrome"...

Pork producers allowed to pursue case in quarantine fight
AUSTRALIA - The High Court will allow Australian Pork Limited (APL) to pursue its case against quarantine measures for imported pig meat. The pork industry wants to overturn a decision by the Federal Government to allow imports from countries...

New research boost for pork industry
AUSTRALIA - Reducing soaring feed prices will be a focus of a new research centre for Australia's pork industry. The Pork Cooperative Research Centre (CRC), based at the University of Adelaide's Roseworthy campus, aims to pump millions...

Aussie Pork producers in court challenge over quarantine protocols for pig meat
AUSTRALIA - The pork industry's national representative body, Australian Pork Limited (APL) has announced today that it will launch a High Court challenge of the Government's new quarantine protocols for pigmeat.

Aussie Pork farmers under attack on two fronts
AUSTRALIA - Australian pork producers are under attack from the risk of disease-carrying imports and from subsidised imports, writes Pat Byrne in News Weely. Australian pork producers have challenged pork imports on both quarantine and probable...

Pig ruling could erode laws: McGauran
AUSTRALIA - The Federal Government has admitted Australia's quarantine system could have been wrecked by a controversial court case involving pork imports. Agriculture Minister Peter McGauran says pork producers should give up their legal...

Pig meat ban attempt fails
AUSTRALIA - Attempts by pork producers to stop the importation of pig meat from countries affected by Post-Weaning Multisystemic Wasting Syndrome (PMWS) have failed. The full bench of the Federal Court has upheld an appeal by the Director of...

Federal Court backs pork quarantine
AUSTRALIA - The full bench of the Federal Court has saved the federal government from serious questions about the nation's quarantine system that could have threatened Australia's international trading system. The court upheld an appeal...

Australia the big loser if ethanol mandated
AUSTRALIA - The Livestock Feed Grain Users Group (LFGUG) has called on all Australian governments to be cognisant of the serious effects that a mandated / subsidised grain-based ethanol industry will have on all Australians through adverse knock on effects...