Mistreatment of farm animals blamed on farmer stress

Almost 200 complaints were made to the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) about farm animal welfare in Northland between 2010 and 2014.

An average of 25 complaints about mistreatment of farm animals are lodged each year in Northland - perhaps indicating the stress farmers are under, says an industry leader.

Almost 200 complaints were made to the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) about farm animal welfare in Northland between 2010 and 2014.

Fifty of the complaints related to lifestyle blocks and 125 pertained to commercial farms. The remaining complaints categorised as "other" included operations such as saleyards.

The data - released under the Official Information Act - follows calls by Massey University vet Alan Thatcher for more regulation of the livestock transport industry. Three complaints lead to written warnings, 16 resulted in court orders and six owners were prosecuted. Other complaints resulted in verbal advice, education or referrals to other agencies. Up to two outcomes could be recorded for one complaint.

Federated Farmers Northland president Roger Ludbrook said there was no excuse for the poor treatment of animals.

"In my experience, when there are welfare issues, it's normally because the farmer is under a lot of stress for whatever reason. I really hope there isn't malicious intent." Mr Ludbrook said it had been a tough July, which meant farmers had to make smart managerial decisions. "I wouldn't be surprised if it's the coldest July on record.

"A lot of farmers' response when things get tough is to work harder, but that's not always the best response.

"The welfare of the farmers and the welfare of their animals are always the most important." Nationwide, MPI received 2947 complaints about animal welfare between 2010 and 2014.