1 April 2008 Media Statement

Strength to care about animal welfare

Proven assurances about the high standard of animal welfare will become necessary for successful sales of New Zealand's high-quality produce, Agriculture Minister Jim Anderton said today.

Jim Anderton told the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee's workshop meeting in Wellington that consumers were becoming more and more demanding.

"They are asking searching questions about issues like environmental responsibility. And they're asking about animal welfare and the quality standards of our production processes.

"The future for New Zealand's primary exports will be in having the best answer to those questions."

Jim Anderton said that sound ethical standards of animal welfare were our best selling point and our most critical risk management strategy.

"And most of all they are the right thing to do."

He said our leadership had to extend to the way we assured the public about the treatment of animals.

"Our leadership should extend to product labels. We have to be leaders in measuring animal welfare. We have to be leaders in the techniques, as well as in the substantive results, of our measuring."

ENDS

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