South overrepresented in lame stats
New guidelines will improve systemic flaws in transporting livestock, an industry spokeswoman says.
Data obtained from the Ministry for Primary Industries, released under the Official Information Act, shows 42.5% of the total infringements issued last year for lame sheep and cattle, both dairy and beef, were for livestock that arrived at meatworks in Otago and Southland.
Ministry data shows the cattle and sheep processed at meatworks in Otago and Southland account for 27.6% of the animals processed in New Zealand last year.
National Livestock Transport & Safety Council vice-chairwoman Shona Robertson, of Tapanui, gave a presentation, "Livestock transport — black and white? Try 50 shades of grey", at the New Zealand Veterinary Association conference in Wellington in June this year.
Livestock transport had systemic flaws, she said.
The "black and white" regulations often did not reflect what happened on the ground.
"Livestock transport involves working with live animals in unpredictable, high-pressure situations — and that creates grey areas that regulations don't always account for."
To bring more clarity and consistency around what good practice looked like, the council would soon be releasing new national guidelines to support all parts of the supply chain, she said.
Many issues, such as animals arriving lame or injured, animals being too tall for a trailer deck height or animals not having the appropriate vet certification, stemmed from a lack of understanding across the supply chain, she said.
Improving communication and education was key for all stakeholders, such as farmers, stock agents, processors, transporters and vets.
"If each party had a clearer understanding of the challenges others face in their part of the journey, we could reduce the number of avoidable issues."
Open conversations and a willingness to collaborate were essential, she said.
"Practical, real-world solutions won't come from working in silos — they'll come from the industry coming together to solve shared problems."
Mrs Robertson said the council was focused on driving greater collaboration and alignment across the sector.
"By working together, we can lift standards, reduce blame and improve outcomes for both animal welfare and the people responsible for it."
Livestock drivers were not trained veterinarians but were expected to make quick assessments about animal fitness during loading, a process that often took up to 30 minutes, with animals moving at pace up a ramp.
"By that point, the animals have already been raised, selected and prepared by the farmer. So it's crucial that proper preparation is done on-farm, and that stock selection is based on a sound understanding of what's fit for transport."
The quality of loading infrastructure played a big role, she said.
Good facilities, including safe ramps and adequate sorting pens, helped reduce stress on animals and made it easier for drivers to do their job safely and efficiently.
MPI data shows 73 fines were issued for lame sheep and cattle arriving at meatworks in New Zealand last year. Of those 23 were meatworks in Otago and eight were meatworks in Southland.
The South had a greater representation in the infringements issued between 2021 and 2023.
Of the 275 fines issued in New Zealand in that time, 20.4% were in Otago and 24% in Southland.
Of the fines issued nationally for lame sheep and cattle arriving at meatworks last year, 71 were issued to a livestock owner, or a person in charge of the livestock other than a transporter, for allowing stock to be taken to a meatworks without a veterinary certificate of fitness for transport.
Two fines were issued last year to transporters for failing to comply with relevant conditions of a veterinary certificate.
Generally, an infringement incurs a penalty of $500.
Veterinary Centre vet Dave Robertson, of North Otago, also spoke at the conference, giving his perspective on issuing veterinary transport certificates for livestock.
A transport certificate was a legal document issued after a vet had given an animal a comprehensive clinical examination, he said.
If a vet issued a certificate, they accepted responsibility for an animal's condition when it reached a processor, Dr Robertson said.
Transport was inherently stressful for livestock.
The distance and time an animal spent travelling should be as short as possible.
An animal should go directly from the farm to the nearest suitable slaughter premises.
Certified animals should be capable of travelling and arrive at their destination in a state similar to that when loaded.
An animal's condition should not deteriorate during the journey.
A vet should consider other options where appropriate, such as on-farm slaughter, processing stock for pet food or giving stock further treatment.
Animals must be able to put all feet down when standing.
When assessing animals for lameness, he graded them on a scale of one to three, Dr Robertson said.
The highest grade of three was given to animals unable to carry their own weight, which were not suitable for transport.
Animals with grade 2 lameness could be transported if certificate conditions were attached, such as being transported to the closest works, being the last on and first off a trailer and travelling on a lower deck.
A line of sheep could be culled for lameness but required a certificate, Dr Robertson said.
Any emaciated, non-weight bearing sheep were excluded from being transported.
Sheep with shearing cuts, acute mastitis or dog bites could not be transported, he said.
Infringements could also be issued at a meatworks for breaching other regulations including transporting livestock to meatworks with wounds, bleeding, discharging skin, eye cancer, or ingrown and bleeding horns.
A cow giving birth in transit, or in the yards, or with injured or diseased udders and transported without a certificate could also result in an infringement.
His general guidelines for issuing a transport certificate was ensuring animals were not bleeding and had no pus discharge, loose bits of skin tissue, or udders with exposed tissue, which could be surgically ligated and removed to allow healing for a subsequent reassessment, Dr Robertson said.
Active, moist discharging skin wounds were not suitable for transport including fly strike.
Certificates were valid for seven days from issuing.
Arranging meatworks space before the vet arrived was preferred, he said.
MPI animal welfare and National Animal Identification and Tracing compliance district manager Hannah Ballantyne said the ministry was aware the infringement numbers were higher in the South than other areas from 2021.
The proportion of fines in the South reflected the relatively high volumes of animals being processed in the area, she said.
MPI veterinarians would continue to identify and report instances of lameness in animals that arrive at meat processors.
If the reporting identified a concerning trend, the ministry would take action, she said.
"That is not the case here."
shawn.mcavinue@alliedmedia.co.nz
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