@ 99 I was jokin ;-) I LOVE pork!!!

@ 107 and I am sure #97 was too.......

@ 97: Facepalm. How can you possibly compare an animal out in the expansive wild being hunted by other animals for food in order to survive, to a pig that has been bred by humans and is indoors, stuffed in a tiny crate where it can barely move, let alone freely roam around?

Also, we as humans are actually able to make ethical choices, so big props to those out there who won't be supporting this stype of farming.

I’m always amazed at how much influence the media has over the emotions of the general public, and the recent “pork crisis” is no exception.

Just to be clear, I would like to inform the public the current production practices of the industry. Pigs have been selectively bread for years and years to be domesticated, efficient, pork producing machines; and the industry has done an amazing job at this. Current pork production provides the world with a leaner, healthier, cheaper source of protein than anyone could have predicted.

These pigs are bread for the purpose of efficient pork production, not their survival skills in a ‘free range’ setting. In fact, they have even lost many of their maternal skills and will roll on their piglets and smother them, unless they are prevented from doing so. This is where the cages come in. The sow is placed in a cage that doesn’t allow her to roll around, smashing her own offspring. The offspring have free reign of the pen however and can nurse when they want and become gradually weaned.

When a farm on the lower end of the hygiene spectrum is flashed all over the news, this dramatic footage stirs up intense public outcry! Why is this when these production practices have been happening for years?

Well who is to blame?....YOU! the uneducated, emotion driven consumer. If you would be responsible and learn how your food is produced, then you would not be shocked to learn how farmers raise an amazingly cheap and healthy source of protein.

It is you who demands cheaper food, and it is you, collectively, that has led agriculture to increase efficiency of their operation. When they reach out to you with their educational campaigns, their words fall on deaf ears, until someone from the uniformed media stirs up your emotions. Guess what, if you don’t like what you saw on the farm, you only have yourself to blame, and only you can change it.

What can you do? Learn where your food comes from and how it is raised. Develop a good relationship with a farmer, or a production group that supports your ideals and principles when it comes to raising animals for food.

Open up your pocketbooks. Put your money where your mouth is. Animals are raised with cost savings in mind. If you want them to be raised in any other way...well you will have to open up your pocketbook and pay the price. If you are unwilling to change your budget to support your views on animal ethics, then keep your mouth shut, because farmers will be unable to change their production practices without being forced out of the business.

The real victim in this whole debate is the farmer, and the real cause is YOU. If you want to talk about a real problem consider a situation where the uneducated few impose costly regulations on farms, which will increase the price of protein in the world. How many lower income people, across the planet will experience a decrease in the quality of their life, or even starve. About 50% of the world is living on less than $2US per day. Will they be able to afford the protein that you demand? I think not. So before you crucify your friendly neighbourhood farmer, consider the real inhumane practices in the world that are often caused by uneducated consumers.

Don't believe everything you see on TV.

NZ farming practices are always touted as "cutting edge" by industry spokesmen.

I worked in the EU agricultural industry for 15 years before coming home and I can tell you that the animal welfare and pollution practices in NZ are 20 years behind them - at least!

Stubble burning (for instance) was banned in the early 90's to reduce pollution, spraying or applying fertiliser is illegal within 25 metres of a watercourse, docking cows' tails is illegal, animals are subject to strict anti over-crowding regulations and rest periods when being transported (that are better than the ones applied to humans on trains in the UK!), even owning (much less using!) 1080 is illegal in the EU and so on.

Pathetic claims that farmers cannot compete unless they abuse livestock and the environment are not reasons to allow it - either consumers pay more for better food (as in the EU) or farmers that cannot cope go bust and better farmers buy their land (as in the EU).

We cannot plod on as though the world around us has not changed!

You have to be retarded to think that because one pig farm treats their animals like this, then the rest must do the same. One farm (so far) will now be known for such behaviour and those Pig Farmers who treat their animals ethically will benefit. Shows like this will only promote free range and provide awareness. Also, well done Mr King. Good work. One thing that really gets on my nerves are those cynics who always presume there is an ulterior motive. How about this; cynical population of NZ. Dude promotes pork. Dude finds out pork is farmed badly. Dude walks out. Nuff said. Hat off to you! Take a good hard look at yourselves. People need have more faith in the goodness of others.

No need to worry about importing Swine Flu - it looks like NZ is trying to produce it here.

In response to #77, here are the contact details:

New Zealand Pork Industry Board PO Box 4048 4th Floor, 94 Dixon Street Wellington

Phone: +64 4 917 4750 Fax: +64 4 385 8522 Toll Free 0800 697 675 (NZPORK)

email: info@pork.co.nz

Its sad that we have to rely on a 'celebrity' to bring light to an issue that has been around for years..it sounds cliche but we all literally have to STOP buying ANY meat or meat product that isn't free-range. Cruelty to farmed animals isn't just restricted to pigs or chickens, we need to wake up and realize how corrupt our farming industry is..

Watching the interview i wasn't surprised at the conditions ive seen. i haved lived next to a INTENSIVELY FARMED piggery for half my life and the truth is that the general public DO NOT know a lot about pig farming, they don't know what happends inside and will find it very hard to get inside one without the help of groups like SAFE. this is because pig farmers are a very secretive sort. NO way will you get a tour through the piggeries that have sow stalls and farrowing crates. If your lucky to get a look at a piggery expect to get shown happy little pigs, happily playing that have ben cleaned and have had everything around them cleaned to the farmers "usual standards" (you should see the real standards). this is all because piggeries are places of money (they make more than dairy), animal welfare is not key and really only cost them money. the likes of the pork board chairman and the Ag minister downplaying the situation and saying "I didnt know" or "this dosnt represent NZ pork" is appauling. they both should well know what goes on, esspecially MR. chairman of NZ pork. I beleive Mike King did the right thing to break into a piggery in a disclosed location (i can name a few!!!) and video and experience the smell and noise and the reality of INTENSIVE pig farming. unfortunately that site was a good one. there are many worse and plenty more of them. INTENSIVE pig farmers should be ashamed (thumbs up to outdoor farmers), dont you have a heart, look the pigs in the eye. What do you see? an empty space of nothing. do something about it. and something needs to be done about the current RMA and animal well-fare laws surrounding intensive piggeries, they are not right and should go against most peoples morals!

GO NZ!

Great to see you are all catching on to the torture that most pigs go through. Seriously, the number of people saying no to bacon now brings a tear to my eye...

But stay vigilante. Don't let this be a fashion that goes away next season! Remember the pigs! And, to top it off, it's good for the planet because of the resources involved in feeding the poorkers.

(from a 2 meat meals a week guy!)