New Zealand: Crackdown on pork imports, sector asks new government

The pork sector is calling on the new government to demonstrate its commitment to animal welfare as high volumes of imported pork flood into New Zealand. An analysis of pork imports conducted by NZ Pork reveals more than 44,000 tonnes of overseas pork from 22 countries has been imported into NZ during 2023, most of it from nations that allow pig farming practices that are banned in NZ. The highest volume of imported pork through the period January to October was from the United States with 7336t, a 128% increase compared to the same period in 2022 at 3216t. Canada was the next highest, at 6238t – up from 3824t – while Australia, at 3551t and the Netherlands, 3418t, also increased. Imports from Spain were significantly down at 6047t compared to 9685t as were imports from Germany at 2,962t, down from 10,042t at the same time last year. Finland, at 2775t; Poland, 2406t; Denmark, 2360t; and Sweden, 1623t, were all down. Kleiss said the significant decline in pork volumes supplied from ...