PETA wants web cams in shearing sheds
Animal rights protest group PETA is calling for Agriculture Minister Todd McClay to introduce legislation which would make it mandatory to have live-streaming web cameras in all New Zealand shearing shed.
A leading veterinarian says in his opinion farmers are doing a better job now than ever in regards to animal welfare.
Richard Hilson is the managing director of Vet Services Hawke’s Bay, which has a staff of 120 people including about three dozen vets. Hilson says he gets frustrated when he sees a lot of publicity given to people who treat animals badly. He says the reality is that these few individuals unfairly give farming a bad name.
In recent months there have been several high profile cases of animals being mistreated and people being prosecuted for failing to adequately feed cows to killing a lamb.
Hilson says there is a greater awareness about animal welfare and often people who harm animals find that others who know them report them to the authorities. Hilson says these days, people realise that it’s not okay to mistreat animals.
“When you look back at some of the things we did 10 or 20 years ago we are not doing them now,” he told Dairy News.
“We are doing a better job. We are more humane and much more conscious of animal welfare. It just seems that the cases reported get a high profile in the media. I think it would be quite nice for every story that some fellow got potted, quite rightly so for welfare, to see 100 stories about farmers doing a good job,” he says.
Hilson points to the greater awareness of animals suffering from pain and that has been considered with the greater use of painkillers when treating them. He says welfare standards have lifted and that farmers have done this because they accept the science and the need to do the best for their valuable stock.
“Very few people beat their cows or break their tails these days. It is true that sometimes people get angry and do things they immediately regret,” he says.
Hilson says he and his staff spend a lot of time with farmers and says the issue of animal welfare is seldom raised because he says there is simply no need to because farmers get the issue. He says in his experience the thing that upsets farmers the most is the misreporting of their industry.
“Farmers feel so beaten up new regulations, health and safety and a raft of other issues that they feel isolated,” he says.
A brilliant result and great news for growers and regional economies. That's how horticulture sector leaders are describing the news that sector exports for the year ended June 30 will reach $8.4 billion - an increase of 19% on last year and is forecast to hit close to $10 billion in 2029.
Funding is proving crucial for predator control despite a broken model reliant on the goodwill of volunteers.
A major milestone on New Zealand's unique journey to eradicate Mycoplasma bovis could come before the end of this year.
We're working through it, and we'll get to it.
The debate around New Zealand's future in the Paris Agreement is heating up.
A technical lab manager for Apata, Phoebe Scherer, has won the Bay of Plenty 2025 Young Grower regional title.
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OPINION: The Federated Farmers rural advocacy hub at Fieldays has been touted as a great success.