Dear Activist,

Latest News for Pigs:

Coles pork to be sow stall free

21 Jul, 2010 10:22 AM
In a major blow for conventional pork production, Coles is phasing out the sale of pork at its in-house butcheries that is sourced from piggeries using sow stalls, and aims to be fully "sow-stall free" by 2014.

Coles general manager of meat, Allister Watson, said the producers will start supplying sow stall free pork to the Coles Butcher range from 2011.

Coles currently offers sow stall free pork in the Otway, Linley Valley, and KR branded Outdoor Reared ranges.

"Our customers are becoming increasingly interested in welfare issues surrounding pig farming, with the use of sow stalls their greatest concern," Mr Watson said.

"For a number of months now, Coles has been working on plans with our pork producers to phase out sow stalls.

"We are working with our growers to ensure they avoid onerous costs in changing how they raise pigs.

"Changes will therefore take time to complete, but Coles and its suppliers are stepping heavily in the right direction."

Mr Watson said that Coles has developed its own pork welfare model, as opposed to those set by the industry and the RSPCA, claiming it "will be better for our customers, better for our growers, and most importantly, better for pigs".

Coles’ new pork welfare policy has also delivered Australia’s first private label free range pork products, developed in conjunction with the RSPCA.

Coles Finest free range pork lands in 60 Coles Supermarkets in ACT, NSW and Victoria this week.

The Coles free range pork comes from pigs which are born and raised on RSCPA Approved farms.

RSPCA Australia CEO Heather Neil commended Coles for showing leadership on pig welfare and said the move was the strongest signal yet that sow stalls were no longer palatable to consumers.

"The RSPCA has always said that to have a meaningful impact on pig welfare we need humane pork products on every supermarket shelf across Australia," Ms Neil said.

"To take pork produced from pigs in sow stalls off the shelves of a major retailer is a huge step towards achieving that."

Sourced from National Rural News.