NZ dairy manufacturer Fonterra bans bobby calf slaughter
The welfare of calves in the dairy industry is back in the spotlight after New Zealand milk giant Fonterra ordered its farmer-suppliers to stop killing very young calves, after the cooperative changed its contracts.
From June this year, Kiwi suppliers will be banned from euthanising bobby calves on farm, and instead will have to raise them to an older age or send them to an abattoir.
Bobby calves are animals under the age of 30 days, and are usually male calves which are not needed by dairy operations to replace the exiting herd.
Disposing of such young calves has been a contentious issue for the industry, with animal welfare groups and consumers expressing concern about the practice.
While the Australian-arm of Fonterra said there was no intention to mandate a similar ban as its New Zealand parent company, it has raised questions about whether the local industry was doing enough to meet shopper’s expectations.
Anne Douglas, group director of Farm Source New Zealand said the dairy industry couldn’t afford to be complacent, as consumers around the world became more interested in how their food was produced.
By Jane McNaughton and Emma Field / ABC Rural
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