Fat to cut
OPINION: Your canine crusader understands that MPI were recently in front of the Parliamentary Primary Sector Select Committee for an 8-hour marathon hearing.
With exports of animal or animal products valued at $28.6 billion (year to June 2018), MPI says New Zealand needs high animal welfare standards to protect our reputation worldwide.
MPI and the SPCA mostly enforce the rules under the Act. They jointly investigate about 16,000 complaints each year. NZ Police also has power to enforce the rules.
Fines for infringement can be up to $50,000 or up to 12 months in prison for individuals, and fines up to $250,000 for a corporate.
The 1999 Act was amended in 2015 to improve the enforceability, clarity and transparency of the animal welfare system. Those amendments have progressed in three lots:
The first, in 2016, covered bobby calves and the export of livestock for slaughter
The second, in 2018, was on the care and conduct of animals
The third and final lot, now being discussed, looks at ‘significant surgical procedures’, i.e. who may do procedures on animals and in what circumstances.
The proposed changes will, if adopted, take effect on May 9, 2020.
MPI says the regulatory proposals build on submissions received in 2016, with 26 proposals either new or markedly different from the 2016 starting point.
The proposals are in six sections:
Section A - animal husbandry, affecting cattle, sheep, pigs and goats
Section B - equids such as horses and donkeys
Section C - poultry and game fowl
Section D - animals in research, teaching and testing environments
Section E & F - electric prodders, pain relief and ‘competent persons’.
Some proposals are on farmers giving animals pain relief or local anaesthesia for, say, disbudding or de-horning as authorised by a vet.
Deadline for submissions: July 24, 2019. Feedback can be made via an online survey accessed at www.mpi.govt.nz/animal-consult, or by e-mail to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The opportunity to spend more time on farm while providing a dedicated service for shareholders attracted new environmental manager Ben Howden to work for Waimakariri Irrigation Limited (WIL).
Federated Farmers claims that the Otago Regional Council is charging ahead unnecessarily with piling more regulation on rural communities.
Dairy sheep and goat farmers are being told to reduce milk supply as processors face a slump in global demand for their products.
OPINION: We have good friends from way back who had lived in one of our major cities for many years.
Listed Canterbury milk processor Synlait’s shares have been placed in a trading halt.
OPINION: Even before the National-led coalition came into power, India was very much at the fore of its trade agenda.
OPINION: European farmers are going to extreme lengths to have their message heard.
OPINION: The hustle and bustle of one of Bangkok's most popular fast food outlets may feel a world away from…