Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Current affairs TV in "making difference" shock!

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  • Simon Poole,

    Watching Close Up last night, I found it interesting that a) the guy from the pork board denied knowledge of farmers engaging in such practices but then b) went on to accuse Mike King of "being aware" of the goings-on in the industy.

    I have no doubt that Mr King was anything but sincere, given the obvious strength of his emotion, but if he was supposed to know then surely the pork board was more than aware that some of its farmers were engaging in dubious, if legal, practice.

    I was never a huge fan of pork itself, but I stopped eating bacon/ham about a year ago if it wasn't declared free-range. The taste difference is noticable, and I would encourage anyone to research the conditions their food is raised in.

    Yesterday, my brother said:

    Much as I'm of the firm belief that cows willingly commit suicide and then miraculously turn into steak and mince, I've also at least seen that they're raised on open paddocks in something approximating their natural habitat. Cages ain't, to put it simply. If that means an increase in the cost of ham and pork, well, so be it.

    I imagine he will weigh in shortly.

    Since Dec 2008 • 161 posts Report

  • Steve Withers,

    If we were going to ban the use of sow stalls in NZ, we must also ban the import of meat from animals raised in sow stalls. Otherwise, it makes no sense to do it at all as anyone who wants to et around the ban just imports meat instead of buying it locally. Sure, it will contravene the often amoral and cruel open market rules past governments have signed us up for, but pretending we aren't really in control of our own destiny is part of an ideology we should all repudiate anyway.

    Auckland • Since Mar 2008 • 312 posts Report

  • Russell Brown,

    Hugh Fearnley Wittingstall's piece in the recent Jamie Oliver show about pig farming practices is well worth watching:

    Given the choice, pigs don't shit where they eat or sleep.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

  • Pdogge,

    A word too for Sue Kedgley. I think she's wrong on many things, but she has long been right on this one.

    What things Russell ? Many = how much ?

    Tauranga • Since Feb 2008 • 15 posts Report

  • Gareth Ward,

    Freedom Farms

    This. Dem's tasty happy piggies.

    Auckland, NZ • Since Mar 2007 • 1727 posts Report

  • Kim Sokolich,

    So is there is no way of telling if your pig has been living in these conditions or not? Unless of course, you buy Freedom or Havoc Farms pig products (and I'm sure there are other free range options out there).
    Does anyone know where Westmere butcher get there pigs from? My wife will know soon as she is going to ask them today.

    Since Oct 2008 • 47 posts Report

  • Gareth Ward,

    Auckland, NZ • Since Mar 2007 • 1727 posts Report

  • Russell Brown,

    What things Russell ? Many = how much ?

    GE, "dietary supplements", television ...

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

  • Hadyn Green,

    I couldn't believe it when I saw Mike King doing this. I have since raised my thoughts of him.

    He also had a good line when accused of "knowing about it". He said: "If the Minister of Agriculture didn't know about it, why would I?"

    Zing!

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2090 posts Report

  • Russell Brown,

    Does anyone know where Westmere butcher get there pigs from?

    Freedom Farms, certainly, and possibly other free-range producers. It's definitely all free-range.

    Although I note that Freedom is now describing its pigs as "cage free", which suggests they spend some time indoors. But they do have the SPCA tick.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

  • Russell Brown,

    I couldn't believe it when I saw Mike King doing this. I have since raised my thoughts of him.

    You know, I wasn't looking forward to having him on last week's Media7, given his reputation for being a dick in the past.

    But he's sober and sincere and he brought a hell of a lot to the show. I like the sober Mike King a lot.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

  • Tom Semmens,

    Banning stall grown meat from China???
    WHAT ABOUT THE WTO?


    Labelling the origin of your pork?
    ZOMG! THAT BREACHES FREE TRADE AGREEMENTS! THE SKY WILL FALL!
    Personally, I like keeping free range pigs. After chcickens, they are the most relaxing and interesting beast of the field to watch. Nothing like leaning on the fence of the pig pen and chewing the fat with a friend:

    "Nice pig"

    "Yup"

    They are fun, grow fast, and you can use every bit of them except the squeal.

    I would love to see Chinese pork banned, but pigs don't vote and they don't hire expensive lobbyists.

    Sevilla, Espana • Since Nov 2006 • 2217 posts Report

  • Rich of Observationz,

    we must also ban the import of meat from animals raised in sow stalls

    I'm fairly sure that we don't import much pork, and that local free-range meat would be cheaper than factory farmed dead pig hauled here from overseas.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

  • Russell Brown,

    I would love to see Chinese pork banned, but pigs don't vote and they don't hire expensive lobbyists.

    Interestingly, the Pork Board has recently campaigned against the use of imported pork meat, but that's been undone by the exposure of some of its own practices. If they put aside the PR until they fix their own house, they'll have a much better story to tell.

    BTW, I know the board's PR adviser: busy week for that person, I'd think.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

  • Stephen Judd,

    Don't be so sure, Rich.

    Last year more than 700,000kgs of pork was imported every week to be made mainly into bacon, ham and smallgoods. This is around 40% of NZ consumption.

    referece.

    Local free range bacon, looking at current prices, is substantially more expensive than the bacon made from imported pork.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 3122 posts Report

  • Russell Brown,

    I'm fairly sure that we don't import much pork, and that local free-range meat would be cheaper than factory farmed dead pig hauled here from overseas.

    I actually don't think you're right. Cheap pork products at retail are quite likely to contain cheap, imported factory meat. That was the subject of the campaign I mentioned above.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

  • Hadyn Green,

    Chinese pork banned

    Yes.

    Chinese BBQ pork (but made with NZ pork) banned

    NO!

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2090 posts Report

  • Tom Semmens,

    RoO - we imported almost 2600 tonnes of pork in March 2009 alone. This represents about 43% of our consumption.

    http://www.nzpork.co.nz/Portals/NZPib/Documents/Publications/March%202009%20Imports%20Report.pdf

    Funnily enough, most of it seems to come from Canada.

    Sevilla, Espana • Since Nov 2006 • 2217 posts Report

  • Tom Semmens,

    I would say at a wild guess based on how we all know the USA/Canada is organised that their pork is almost exclusively "farmed" in stalls.

    Sevilla, Espana • Since Nov 2006 • 2217 posts Report

  • Peter Martin,

    Ok..plug for The Home of Happy Hogs as mentioned by King...and a stalwart of the Dunedin Farmers' Market.

    A completely different taste and...no sludge when cooking.

    mmmmmmmmm...

    Dunedin • Since Nov 2006 • 187 posts Report

  • Rich of Observationz,

    I stand corrected. How stupid, I will check the source of my bacon in future.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

  • Paul Litterick,

    Cheap pork products at retail are quite likely to contain cheap, imported factory meat

    Or Cat.

    Before we all get too soppy about how happy the pigs are on free range farms and how good they taste, remember that they do have to be killed to get from one place to the other: from the state of happiness to the state of tastyness. Might I suggest another idea, that we do not eat them at all?

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1000 posts Report

  • David R,

    Or Cat.
    Before we all get too soppy about how happy the pigs are on free range farms and how good they taste, remember that they do have to be killed to get from one place to the other: from the state of happiness to the state of tastyness. Might I suggest another idea, that we do not eat them at all?

    Baby steps my friend....

    AKL • Since Sep 2008 • 22 posts Report

  • Tom Semmens,

    Can we not not turn this into yet another threadjack by the moral crusaders of the vege lobby?

    Sevilla, Espana • Since Nov 2006 • 2217 posts Report

  • Tom Semmens,

    Hmmm - I personally have no moral scrupples about eating a cat. Or a possum. Or even, at a stretch, Rover the happy Beagle. Not rats thought. Or mice. Or Capybaras for that matter. Hate rodents.

    Sevilla, Espana • Since Nov 2006 • 2217 posts Report

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