Dr Jacqueline Rowarth: Supermarkets need to support NZ pork producers

According to NZ Pork, over 60 per cent of pork products consumed in New Zealand start life overseas. Photo / Duncan Brown

OPINION

When over 60 per cent of pork products consumed in New Zealand start life overseas, it’s time Kiwi supermarkets start supporting local pig farmers, Dr Jacqueline Rowarth writes.

The trade deal signed in June between the EU and New Zealand offers some significant benefits to some sectors and has been launched with headlines suggesting that sustainable economic growth will occur on both sides.

New Zealand pastoral farmers have expressed disappointment that the deal wasn’t more in their favour – but so have European meat and dairy producers.

Although there are theories that when both parties are unhappy, the compromise is a good one, the compromise could also be classed as a lose-lose.

This is rarely a good situation unless the alternative to not achieving the compromise was worse than the dissatisfaction.

In the case of the EU trade deal, some parties (e.g. kiwifruit and honey) will benefit, but for others, only time will tell.

Of concern is the section in the EU’s press release stating that “EU farming communities stand to gain from easier access to the New Zealand market and more opportunities to sell their produce due to tariff elimination”.

It was followed by the expansion that, “Among others, New Zealand will liberalise at entry into force EU pigmeat, wine and sparkling wine, chocolate, sugar confectionery and biscuits.”

New Zealand pig farmers are already under pressure.

Feed costs are up, animal welfare regulations exceed those in other countries and environmental standards are high. Economic viability is at risk as ever-more stringent regulations are imposed and consumers are more focused on saving money in the supermarket than checking on how the product was produced.

How many people realise that the cheap chips they enjoy with their fish are cheap because they are from overseas?

Or that less than a third of the wheat needed for flour is grown in New Zealand?

The imports are mostly from Australia, not because of quality, but because it is cheaper to grow and transport wheat in Australia to New Zealand than grow and transport it within New Zealand.

Or that over 60 per cent of pork products consumed in New Zealand start life overseas.

Approximately 85 per cent of this imported pork is processed here into a range of products including cured pork products.

The introduction of food labelling regulations in February 2022 was supposed to make it easier for consumers to identify provenance, but the regulations exclude marinated pork processed into other products in New Zealand, such as sausages.

For ease of labelling of ham, for instance, manufacturers are listing all of the countries that are possible sources, with no discrimination on the regulations for animal welfare and environment within the country where the pigs started life.

In some countries, the standards applied are not legal in New Zealand.

While pig farmers cry foul, there are lessons to be learned from the poultry industry.

New Zealanders responded to a Ministry for Primary Industries survey last decade indicating that the bulk of people did not want battery cages to be used in egg production.

The cages have been phased out and the industry moved to colony (enriched) cages, barn and free-range egg production systems.

But then the supermarkets said they would phase out eggs from colony cages in response to growing consumer awareness of animal welfare issues.

If hens, why not pigs?

Dr Jacqueline Rowarth.

Supermarkets in Britain do exactly what could be done here to support the New Zealand pig farmer.

Their country-of-origin labelling is clear – Waitrose’s website has Union Jack logos and “British” on the web label, as well as on the packaging.

In fact, the labelling is on all the products grown or raised in Britain. Sometimes the strawberries have been proudly grown in Kent or Sussex. Sometimes Hampshire. If there is no identification, the prospective purchaser can think again.

Although it isn’t always the supermarket doing the packaging, it is the supermarket presenting products online.

In the same way that colony-caged eggs in supermarkets are being phased out, the supermarkets could phase out purchasing pork products from overseas.

Then the consumers would know that the pigs had been reared to meet New Zealand welfare and environmental regulations.

The EU trade deal “protects the names of specific food and drink products whose qualities are specifically linked to the area of production through the ‘Geographical Indications’ (GIs) status”.

The GI recognition, which includes Champagne and Prosecco, should assist in marketing for a premium. But it should also enable consumers to trust and distinguish high-quality and authentic products.

The EU statement is that “the recognition and protection of EU GIs through the agreement will:

• help European farmers, producers and exporters, and
• reassure New Zealand consumers that they are buying a genuine European product.”

A Welfare Indication would give yet another reassurance.

PigCare is the New Zealand accreditation scheme. If it doesn’t have the PigCare stamp should supermarkets stock the product?

The reality is that eggs can’t be imported whereas pork products can, but the issues remain the same.

Ensuring the economic viability of New Zealand farmers as they cope without subsidies but with ever-increasing regulations while reassuring customers that they are buying a premium product produced with high animal welfare and environmental compliance shouldn’t be hard.

The supermarkets are both the link and the key.

• Dr Jacqueline Rowarth, Adjunct Professor Lincoln University, is a member of the Scientific Council of the World Farmers’ Organisation and on the Board of Directors of several agricultural organisations. The thoughts and analysis presented here are her own jsrowarth@gmail.com.