PHOTO: SUPPLIEDFarmers are renewing calls for the government to enforce the same animal welfare standards that local pig farmers face on imported pork. A group of farmers, pork producers and advocates wrote to the Prime Minister and government ministers this week, calling for a "level playing field" among locally-produced and imported product. He signed the letter addressed to the government, and said farmers, consumers and the pigs deserved high welfare standards. But he acknowledged it was a significant concern for cash-strapped consumers, though many of them were passionate about animal welfare. Food and Agriculture Organization's latest statistics show New Zealand imported more than 47,000 tonnes of pork in 2023.

Source: Otago Daily Times February 28, 2026 03:41 UTC