NZ Government rushes to pass the Bill, making the caging of pigs legal just days before the ban
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The Government pushed this cruel Bill through Parliament under urgency just days before the ban was due to take effect. Now, mother pigs will continue to be confined in farrowing crates where they can’t even turn around.
Image credit: SAFE / Farmwatch NZ
Five years ago, the High Court ruled the use of these crates unlawful after a case brought by SAFE and the NZ Animal Law Association. More than 100,000 New Zealanders added their voices, signing a petition calling for a ban. Now, without public consultation or input from animal welfare organisations, this cruel practice will continue indefinitely.
This sudden decision comes without public consultation or input from animal welfare organisations, and just days before a farrowing crate ban which was due to take effect on 18 December 2025.
Recently, we joined our allies at the SPCA, Animals Aotearoa, SAFE, HUHA, VAWA, Compassion in World Farming, the Australian Alliance for Animals, and Eurogroup for Animals in sending an Open Letter to the Government, urging them to honour their commitment to phase out this cruel practice.
A ban on farrowing crates would have positioned Aotearoa New Zealand as a world leader in animal welfare. Allowing the indefinite use of farrowing crates is a significant step backward compared to what has previously been put to the public.
The Open Letter stated in part:
Minister Hoggard is proposing an amendment to the Animal Welfare Act itself, to be made at least partially under urgency. This is a highly unusual process, seemingly designed to avoid judicial oversight.
Despite claims of public consultation, what was consulted on in 2022 was entirely different to what Minister Hoggard proposed on 1st October 2025. It is unacceptable to see decisions of this scale being made without transparency and public input.
Several countries have already banned farrowing crates, including Sweden, Switzerland and Norway, and industry-led pledges not to build any new crates exist in the UK, Denmark and Finland. While other countries are moving away from these cruel systems, New Zealand is sliding backwards.
What are farrowing crates used for?
Farrowing crates are metal cages in which mother pigs are placed to give birth. They confine mother pigs so tightly that they cannot turn around, build a nest, or properly bond with their piglets. These crates are associated with sores, frustration, and distress, and often cause physical and mental suffering to the animals.
Why are farrowing crates bad for mother pigs?
Mother pigs are highly motivated to build nests for farrowing and piglet care, which they are prevented from doing in a farrowing crate.
All crates, including temporary crating, restrict almost all sows’ normal behaviours, including mother-young bonding and the ability to turn around.
Crates contribute to health issues, such as pressure sores and lameness, and negatively affect piglet welfare, with higher rates of stillbirths and poorer maternal care.
While the Government’s decision is a devastating setback, it is not the end. Together, we won't stop fighting until every pig in Aotearoa has a life worth living.
Factory farming cruelty
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