KEY POINTS:
Paul Trengrove, Canterbury pig farmer and the chairman of the NZ Pork Industry Board, talks to Jennie Milsom about Kiwi fondness for pork.
How much pork do we get through in New Zealand?
The average New Zealander gets through 21kg of pork products a year. Twenty years ago it was just 13kg. Fifty-five per cent of the pork we eat here is from New Zealand, the rest is imported from the EU.
Why is pork farming such big business in Canterbury?
Canterbury is the granary of New Zealand and provides everything pig farmers need - straw for insulation and grain that feeds the pigs. Plus the climate is just right - neither too hot nor too cold and it's relatively dry.
Are pigs in New Zealand free-range?
They are "free-range bred". This means that sows are provided with permanent access to open air, direct sunlight and natural earth. Some of their feed is obtained from grazing or foraging.
What's life like for a New Zealand pig?
At four weeks of age the piglets are weaned from their mothers and moved into straw-bedded barns. Male and female pigs are usually separated at 8-12 weeks as they'll be fed slightly different diets.
In her lifetime, each sow will produce on average six to eight litters, each with an average of 10-12 piglets.
A piglet will consume about 300kg of feed in its growing life. Pigs aren't cheap to raise, either - each adult sow will eat its way through 1.5 tonnes of grain a year.
Five weeks before slaughter, at the age of 15 weeks, the pigs are moved into pens in the fattening sheds. These are covered, provide a lesser amount of room to move so the fattening pigs get up to weight in time. The sheds have to meet criteria under the Animal Welfare Act of 1999.
What are pigs in New Zealand fed on?
Predominantly a grain-based diet. Growth hormones are not used in New Zealand and evidence is provided by the Animal Status Declaration at time of slaughter.
Why do we import so much pork from overseas?
We'd love to produce all the pork for the country but Kiwi pig farmers can't compete with international subsidies paid to overseas farmers.
There's the rising cost of grain - which accounts for 75 per cent of the production cost - and because there's no growth hormones, the pigs grow slower so the farmer must keep them for longer, which costs money.
Why should I eat pork?
It's cheaper! A New Zealand Pork Industry Board survey showed New Zealand pork was the cheapest meat across all cuts, including chicken, beef and lamb.
- Detours, HoS
