Farmers react as U.K. tightens killing standards

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33742, 15 January 1975, Page 1

Farmers react as U.K. tightens killing standards

(Neto Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, January 14. T

Farmers have reacted strongly to a British official’s report calling for improved standards of hygiene in New Zealand freezing works exporting to Britain. But the freezing industry has agreed to abolish several of its traditional practices.

The chairman of the Dominion Meat and Wool Council of Federated Farmers (Mr T. G. McNab) said tonight that every time New Zealand met the existing meat hygiene regulations more requirements were imposed.

“And farmers are now asking where is it all going to end — or even if there will be any end,” he said. "In one New Zealand

freezing works, the lining of the freezer has been ripped out and then replaced up to the new standards four times in 11 years. “The imposition of hygiene requirements has reached the stage where the costs involved are too much for the farmers to bear, and the Government must now assume responsibility for at least a significant proportion of the costs. “As has happened in the past, no reason has been given for these latest requirements, and farmers have not been told why they were necessary,” said Mr McNab. Killing charge The executive director of the Freezing Companies’ Association (Mr P. Blomfield) said that the slitting of adult sheeps’ throats in freezing works would be abolished in 1976. A statement issued earlier today by the Ministry of Agriculture quoted a British veterinarian, Mr R. V. Blamire, who has just completed an official inspection of many New Zealand freezing works, as saying that slaughtering techniques for sheep and lambs required urgent improvement. “At present, they are inefficient and archaic, and have repercussions right down the chain,” said Mr Blamire. Mr Blamire said chilling, freezing, and storage facilities at most plants were other problems. “Some freezers and stores date back to the original plants, some even to the nineteenth century.” Generally, extensive reconstruction of old plant was being carried out rather than

the building of completely new units. Britain was continuing to apply its national rules on meat standards to all exporting countries until the Common Market third-country directive came into force. “There is nothing significant in the E.E.C. context about this visit. Although obviously we have discussed informally various E.E.C. problems, this is not an E.E.C. visit; it is a U.K. visit,” said Mr Blamire. Point of concern Mr A. F. Baines, the First Secretary (food and agriculture) at the British High Commission in Wellington, said that the point of concern on the slaughter chains was the method of killing adult sheep. “Mr Blamire said the present situation where the head is neatly severed was unacceptable,” said Mr Baines. “We want the sheep to be stunned electrically, and then stuck vertically. “This has advantages further down the chain. It means the skin can be taken off the head as well as the main part of the carcase, and that makes it possible to inspect the sheep’s tongue. “At present. New Zealand sheep tongues exported to Britain are not inspected. They must be.” Mr Baines said that generally Britain was very happy with New Zealand’s efforts to improve the hygiene in freezing works. “We’re satisfied with the momentum so far. We want to ensure that it keeps going, though.” Mr Blamire had visited

many uncovered cattle yards at freezing works. He was disturbed that they were not covered; Britain required that they should be. “We are also not happy with the present methods of marshalling sheep and cattle in the yards,” said Mr Baines. “Mr Blamire felt far too many dogs were used. They present a danger because of faeces and the possibility that insects can move from the dog on to the sheep’s fleece, and then on to the mutton board.” Timber in yards Mr Baines said Britain would ask that all timber be removed from stock yards at freezing works and replaced by metal or concrete. “And, of course, we would like all timber out of the freezers. A lot of work has been done on freezers already but there are still quite a few lined with timber." Mr Baines said that there was no possibility of any New Zealand freezing works at present being prohibited from exporting meat to Britain. “But the period of transition in our membership of the Common Market ends in 1977, and then we, like all other Common Market members, will have to comply with the Market’s thirdcountry directive on meat hygiene.” Mr Blomfield said the meat industry was aware of the requirements. It was spending millions of dollars on improving its. facilities. .“It is recognised that some areas can be improved. The industry proposes to spend $2OO million over the next 10 years on a planned programme to satisfy the requirements of New Zealand’s meat customers,” said Mr Blomfield.