Thursday, 17 May 2012 16:45

Swine of a ruling

Written by Rural News Group

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PIG FARMERS battling dismal returns fear a High Court ruling has condemned them to an even more uncertain future.

It follows the High Court’s decision to uphold Ministry for Primary Industries’ (MPI) import health standards for pork. While an appeal remains an option New Zealand Pork has already spent $1.4 million fighting the case.

Pig farmer fears centre on the risk of fresh pork imports bringing an anti-immune response virus into the country and with it, Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS).

In herds not previously exposed to the virus PRRS can kill 70% of piglets and increase abortions and still births. Production recovers post initial infection, but never quite to what it was. It’s endemic in all but a handful of pork producing nations.

Pork New Zealand has expert scientific advice from Massey University that if 3kg cuts of fresh imported pork are sold, as per the MPI’s new Import Health Standard, a PRRS incursion is likely within three years.

MPI’s science, drawn from overseas experts, says it’s more like 1200 years, if at all. As Rural News went to press, New Zealand Pork chairman Ian Carter, Oamaru, said a decision on whether to appeal hadn’t been made.

“We’re trying to work with the Ministry to get a solution but we haven’t ruled out an appeal.”

MPI maintains food waste disposal regulations will prevent fresh pork scraps reaching pigs, a potential PRRS infection pathway. Carter says that’s unrealistic, given the thousands of backyard pigs in New Zealand.

“Just take a look on TradeMe.”

Rules will accidentally or knowingly be broken, with people thinking they are doing the right thing recycling food waste through pigs, he says.

Once one pig is infected, experience with post weaning multi-systemic wasting syndrome (PMWS) shows such viruses spread nationwide within a few years.

“There are only four or five pig farms that don’t vaccinate for PMWS now.”

Vaccination for PMWS costs about $4/pig/year. PRRS vaccines would cost $8-15/pig/year and are unreliable owing to the constantly mutating nature of the bug.

“The question we’ve still not had an answer to is where is the benefit to New Zealand in this? Surely you have to err on the side of caution.”

MPI director general Wayne McNee last week told Rural News it would implement the new IHS but work with NZ Pork to ensure effective risk management relating to feeding waste meat to pigs.