Bikinis in cowshed
OPINION: An animal activist organisation is calling for an investigation into the use of dairy cows in sexuallly explicit content posted on social media and adult entertainment subscription site OnlyFans.
With new regulations on bobby calves in force from August 1, MPI is encouraging people to report breaches.
The rules ban trucking bobby calves younger than four days old, set 12 hours as the maximum journey time, prohibit the shipping of young calves across Cook Strait and forbid 'blunt force' (blow to the head) killing of calves except in an emergency.
MPI's deputy director-general Scott Gallacher says the vast majority of New Zealand farmers do the right thing day-to-day in the welfare of their animals; MPI is confident the welfare message has got out to farmers.
"We are not only working with all the players in industry; we have undertaken a media campaign direct to consumers, the public and farmers to make sure everyone knows that if they see anything causing concern [they should] contact MPI and we'll get to the bottom of it."
MPI's campaign on the new regulations is to alert anyone interested in animal welfare to their right to call the ministry, Gallacher says.
"I am encouraging people to reach out on any issue. It might well be an education programme all round because we are aware that people often see something that concerns them. I don't want them left in the dark with no-one to talk to.
"It is quite powerful for us when we get back to people and say 'we have investigated that and it wasn't what you thought; it was actually this situation and there was no breach of the animal welfare rules'. From our perspective it is part of an education process in having had a conversation with them."
Gallacher says this is part of the process of reassuring the public that MPI will investigate any complaint and if there is a breach of regulations it will prosecute.
"As soon as we have information in front of us that highlights offending then we prosecute.
"In fact... on the bobby calf issue that played out last year we prosecuted one case, had a guilty plea and we have currently got a company director in court and we are continuing to investigate.
"We also have other prosecutions underway relating to animal welfare issues. We want people to see that we take this seriously and that we prosecute people who break the law."
Gallacher says MPI is trying to hold to account the "minority" of people who don't look at the rules, or who ignore the rules and do not consider the rights of animals.
Like many manufacturers around the world, European agricultural machinery and tractor manufacturers are currently operating in a difficult market environment. But they are heading to the world’s largest agricultural machinery event in Hanover next month with a degree of cautious optimism.
Established in 2021, the John Deere Technician of the Year Awards champion the important contribution parts and service technicians make to the Australian and New Zealand agriculture, construction and forestry industries.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) is calling on farmers from all regions to take part in the final season of the Sheep Poo Study aiming to build a clearer picture of how facial eczema (FE) affects farms across New Zealand.
New Zealand is closer to eradicating bovine TB than ever before, but possums remain a threat, says Beef + Lamb New Zealand.
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has joined the debate around the proposed sale of Fonterra’s consumer and related businesses, demanding answers from the co-operative around its milk supply deal with the buyer, Lactalis.
The ACT Party says media reports that global dairy giant Nestle has withdrawn from the Dairy Methane Action Alliance shows why New Zealand needs to rethink its approach to climate.
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