Australian states embrace virtual fencing, creating growth opportunities for Halter
More Australian states are embracing virtual fencing technology, opening growth opportunities for Kiwi companies like Halter.
Extremist animal welfare group PETA’s campaign (Rural News, April 21) against the Australian wool industry has led to a number of advocacy groups in the sector taking action against its misleading promotion.
The furore surrounds an advertisement featuring Australian musician Jona Weinhofen clutching what appears to be the fake, bleeding body of a violently sheared sheep, carrying the slogan: “Here’s the rest of your wool coat.”
The advertisement was released in conjunction with video footage of sheep being treated poorly in shearing sheds.
PETA claimed the advertisement represented the “realities of the Australian wool industry” and that “25% of the world’s wool comes from Australia and it’s made from 100% cruelty”.
The advertisement, which aired earlier this month, has been met with outrage from many who believe the campaign is misleading.
“It’s a false image, backed by false and insulting claims,” Victorian Farmers Federation Livestock Group president Ian Feldtmann says.
“It’s in our own interest to treat our animals humanely, given good treatment means healthy animals and good productivity. All Australians should realise that PETA is all about portraying extreme behaviour as the norm.”
Leading wool industry group WoolProducers Australia has also condemned the advertisement and refuted the animal welfare activitists’ claims.
“Australian wool growers protect the health and welfare of their sheep through a variety of animal husbandry practices that are suited to the sheep type and the environment,” WoolProducers Australia said in a statement.
“Sheep producers are continually investing in sheep health and welfare. Over the last five years, more than $50 million has been spent on research and development, biosecurity, health and welfare programmes.
“Wool growers tend to their sheep every day, using appropriate and often world leading husbandry and management practices.”
The campaign has prompted the VFF to lodge a complaint with the Advertising Standards Bureau, with its complaint focusing on the fake representation of the lamb as “misleading and offensive”.
But while some farming groups are pushing for the ad to be removed by bureaucratic means, the Western Australian Farmers Federation is instead campaigning to educate Weinhofen and PETA through a crowd-funding campaign.
WAFarmers launched its campaign to send Weinhofen to shearing school by aiming to raise $4500.
If it meets the mark, then WA Farmers president Dale Park says he would extend the invitation to the staff at PETA – including the chief executive and the marketing department – to clarify any misconceptions they may have.
“No one that I know would shear a lamb that size – it looks a day old – and certainly they wouldn’t tolerate such a low standard of shearing,” Park says.
He says the PETA campaign preys on people who have no knowledge of shearing practices. “Shearers are trained in best practice technique and any shearer that did that to a sheep would be out of a job.”
Commercial fruit and vegetable growers are being encouraged to cast their votes in the Horticulture New Zealand (HortNZ) board directors' election.
A unique discovery by a Palmerston North science company, Biolumic, looks set to revolutionise the value and potential of ryegrass and the secret is the application of ultraviolet (UV) light.
A New Zealand company is redefining the global collagen game by turning New Zealand sheepskin into a world-class health product.
With further extreme weather on the way, ANZ Bank is encouraging farmers and business owners impacted by the recent extreme weather and flooding to seek support if they need it.
New Zealand must continue to educate Chinese consumers about the unique qualities of its red meat products and how they differ from competitors, says Silver Fern Farms chief executive Dan Boulton.
There are opportunities outside the farmgate for young farmers to further develop their skills, says 2025 Primary Industries Emerging Leader Award winner Bridie Virbickas.
OPINION: Dust ups between rural media and PR types aren't unheard of but also aren't common, given part of the…
OPINION: The Hound hears from his canine pals in Southland that an individual's derogatory remarks on social media have left…