Sheep farmer sentenced for animal welfare breaches
A Palmerston North sheep farmer has been disqualified indefinitely from overseeing animals and fined $13,000 for failing to treat flystrike and meet welfare needs of hundreds of sheep.
A milk business has been fined $30,000 for not following the rules that regulate the supply and sale of raw milk.
Following a successful prosecution by New Zealand Food Safety (NZFS), Manukau-based MannaMilk owner John Albert Martin was sentenced yesterday in the Levin District Court, Horowhenua.
Martin earlier pleaded guilty to three charges under the Animal Products Act, including failing to follow raw milk regulations, selling raw milk, and failing to comply with a notice of direction to cease processing and selling raw milk.
“We expect today’s sentence sends a strong message to all dairy farmers involved in raw milk production,” says NZFS deputy director general Vincent Arbuckle.
“Raw milk is inherently much more of a food safety risk than milk that has been pasteurised to kill potentially harmful bacteria.
“Producers owe it to their customers to follow the rules and take every required precaution to ensure the safety of their product. There is less risk of a person becoming ill from drinking raw milk products when they do.”
Raw milk producers must register with NZFS, meet hygiene requirements, test milk for pathogens, keep records of sales, and label appropriately so consumers were aware of the risks and could make informed decisions about consuming raw milk.
In early 2019 NZFS carried out an investigation, called Operation Caravan, to ensure farmers were following regulations in place to protect consumers.
Martin attempted to avoid the regulations by distributing raw milk to customers through a separate legal entity and claiming it was not for sale.
The investigation found Martin ignored a previous Notice of Direction to cease sales and continued to sell product illegally both through the legal entity and direct to customers.
“Mr Martin went to some lengths to avoid his responsibilities under the law. By contrast most raw milk producers follow the rules and find it easy to do so,” says Arbuckle.
“Compliance with the rules would have cost his company MannaMilk $10,000 - $15,000 a year, a small amount next to the $243,000 MannaMilk made in 2019.”
NZFS has further cases involving the illegal sales of raw milk that will be placed before the court.
Can discarded beef skins become premium dog food? Would camel milk work for your morning flat white? These are just two of the questions that will be answered next week at an international conference in Palmerston North.
Meat the Need, New Zealand’s dedicated charity delivering locally sourced protein meals to food-insecure communities, is launching an online National Charity Auction.
The turmoil and challenges faced by the kiwifruit industry in the past 30 years were put to one side but not forgotten at a glitzy night for 400 kiwifruit growers and guests in Mt Maunganui recently.
The Government's passing of new freshwater management laws has been welcomed by farmers, but could cause some councils a headache.
Irrigation New Zealand chief executive Vanessa Winning is stepping down after four years in the role.
Free workshops focused on managing risk in sharefarming get underway this week.
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