NPPC criticises undercover video of hog farm
The US’s National Pork Producers Council have strongly condemned an undercover video shot in a Minnesota pig farm, released earlier this week by an animal welfare group.
The video, allegedly shot in a Pipestone farm, was released by Mercy for Animals, a front group for the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). It is aimed at retailer Wal-Mart, and asks viewers to sign a petition for Wal-Mart to improve living standards for pigs producing pork for their shops.
The video shows a mixture of common practices with prejudiced comments, as well as selected footage of piglets being slammed with their heads on the floor.
In a statement, the NPPC said: “This latest attack by HSUS and MFA clearly is the result of the pressure they’re feeling after a year of significant state and federal legislative losses. HSUS has spent significant amounts of its donors’ money on futile legislative efforts and on a lawsuit that had nothing to do with animal welfare was dismissed by a US District Court judge. HSUS donors, especially the many whose priorities are the protection of companion animals, deserve better than that.”
The pork producers organisation points to an objective on-farm study: “An independent veterinarian, who was taken by law enforcement to the Pipestone facility shown in the video, determined that there were no signs of inhumane treatment or violations of good production standards. Therefore, no charges were filed.”
“But that wasn’t good enough for this Pipestone farm. Its care for animals is so firmly rooted in its commitment to industry best practices that it did something consistent with its proactive approach to continuous improvement – it brought in a third party to investigate.”
“Though the MFA-produced undercover video was unfortunately never made available to Pipestone, the farm’s investigation determined that the employee involved had not been following animal care protocols, and he was immediately fired.”
NPPC closed off saying, “American farmers have the trust of the American people and don’t deserve the onslaught they face from groups such as the Humane Society of the United States that have deep pockets from deceptive fundraising practices.”
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