Day 096 - 03 Mar 95 - Page 17
1 Freedom Food approved, and if we do not meet the
2 specifications which are inspected by veterinarian officers
3 of the RSPCA, we are removed from them as a recognised
4 Freedom Food producer.
5
6 Q. Right, but 80 or 90 per cent of your supply of pigs that
7 are just brought in for the slaughterhouse are not from
8 that system ---
9 A. No.
10
11 Q. -- are they?
12 A. No, no. 20 per cent of our suppliers at this moment
13 are Freedom Food.
14
15 Q. Is that including your own farms?
16 A. That is including our own farms.
17
18 Q. But the other 80 per cent, the RSPCA would not be enforcing
19 this?
20 A. MAFF would.
21
22 Q. It is not legally enforceable by the MAFF, is it? It is a
23 recommendation.
24 A. It is a recommendation, I agree, but I can assure you
25 in the Food Act now that all the major retailers are taking
26 MAFF recommendations as minimum -- as minimum.
27
28 Q. So do you know whether all the suppliers are complying with
29 these recommendations?
30 A. All the suppliers that we have, yes.
31
32 Q. You actually know that?
33 A. We have our buyers to go around and inspect and we have
34 not found a supplier yet who does not keep within the
35 recommendations.
36
37 Q. How often are the dunging areas cleaned out?
38 A. Every day -- including Sundays.
39
40 Q. Can I just clarify, the dunging area has a roof over?
41 A. Yes.
42
43 Q. It does?
44 A. Yes.
45
46 Q. Right, but it has Yorkshire boarding around the sides; is
47 that right?
48 A. Yes.
49
50 Q. Is it solid Yorkshire boarding from the roof to the floor?
51 A. No, there is a wall about one-and-a-half metres high
52 and Yorkshire boarding above.
53
54 Q. Up to the roof?
55 A. Yes.
56
57 Q. Dr. Gregory said: "The Freedom Food standards were a blend
58 of welfare requirements for the animals and practical
59 considerations as to what can be achieved in commercial
60 situations". Would you agree with that?
