Whangarei's thoughts on pig welfare
Relevant offers
Whangarei Leader
Waipu resident and former New Zealand Pork endorser Mike King has caused a furore over the treatment of factory-farmed pigs after exposing sow stall methods.
In a feature aired on TVNZ’s Sunday programme, Mr King saw pigs in a Levin piggery kept in narrow sow stalls, frothing at the mouth and biting at bars. One was dead.
The programme caused condemnation of New Zealand’s piggery methods, with Agriculture Minister David Carter calling for an urgent review of the welfare code.
Save Animals From Exploitation, or SAFE, held a stall in Cameron St Mall on Saturday to raise awareness about pig factory-farming methods.
Whangarei member Sonia Poliquin believes many people do not know about the sow stalls – which are so small that sows can not lie down and are forced to stand or kneel.
Ms Poliquin found out about sow crates through TV show Jamie Saves Our Bacon, featuring Jamie Oliver.
Since then she has investigated New Zealand’s methods, joined SAFE, convinced local butchers to stock free-range bacon and encouraged Sunday to do an expose.
Ms Poliquin says free-range bacon and pork chops are not much more expensive than the factory-farmed varieties, and less is needed because they are higher quality and do not shrink when cooked.
She has even convinced her work place, Kamo Home, to use free-range pork and eggs.
But has the publicity had an impact in Whangarei?
Whangarei Leader reporter Denise Piper took to the streets to ask residents if the recent publicity about the treatment of pigs has made them stop eating factory farmed pork.
- Jabor Florovits, sky diving master: "No, I haven’t heard about it. I don’t really eat pork."
- Hanatia Hakaraia, student: "No, not really because they’re just pigs. It’s sad but they’re only pigs, it’s not like it’s someone’s pet."
- Ashlee Smith, student: "Sort of because of the pig flu stuff. The pig treatment is rubbish – it’s not the pigs’ fault."
- Lorraine Cross, homebody: "Yes, it was pretty horrifying to see it on television. The other day we had a lovely leg of wild pork and I could eat it without the guilt. I just don’t think I’ll eat pork for a while."
- Wiremu Witehira, solo parent: "Yes, it has a bit. I was just going to eat a piece of pork and it came up on TV with Mike King and it just put me straight off it. When I saw the caged pigs it put me off because of hygiene – when animals are locked up like that it stresses the meat. I reckon they should be free-range, healthier out on the farm."
- © Fairfax NZ News
NEED A tidy up? We do it