Milking it?
OPINION: A mate of yours truly reckons that ACT agriculture spokesman Mark Cameron may be overdoing his 'I'm a farmer' schtick a little bit too much.
Proposed changes to the animal welfare system are going out to public comment.
Primary Industries Minister David Carter says the proposals set a strategic direction for animal welfare and improve the way the Animal Welfare Act operates.
"Animal welfare matters. It matters because how we treat animals says something important about us as a society," he says.
"It also matters for New Zealand's reputation because our trading partners and international consumers rightly expect us to maintain high standards of animal welfare.
"I encourage New Zealanders to provide input on this discussion to ensure we get the system right."
Carter says the proposed national strategy, the first of its kind, will canvass the views of stakeholders with animal welfare interests, identify the strengths and weaknesses of the current system and set a vision for New Zealand's animal welfare system into the future.
"The proposed changes to the Animal Welfare Act will clarify the way it operates and make it easier to enforce.
"A key proposal is that codes of welfare, which currently set the standards for animal welfare, are replaced with a combination of regulations and guidelines. Regulations will be directly enforceable in law. Guidelines will provide information and advice but will have no legal effect," Carter says.
The closing date for submissions is September 28 2012.
Two butcheries have claimed victory at the 100% New Zealand Bacon & Ham Awards for 2025.
A Taupiri farming company has been convicted and fined $52,500 in the Hamilton District Court for the unlawful discharge of dairy effluent into the environment.
The Climate Change Commission’s 2025 emissions reduction monitoring report reveals steady progress on the reduction of New Zealand’s climate pollution.
Another milestone has been reached in the fight against Mycoplasma bovis with the compensation assistance service being wound up after helping more than 1300 farmers.
The Government’s directive for state farmer Landcorp Farming (trading as Pamu) to lifts its performance is yielding results.
The move to bring bovine TB testing in-house at Ospri officially started this month, as a team of 37 skilled and experienced technicians begin work with the disease eradication agency.
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