Federated Farmers has described undercover video footage by animal rights activists — including allegedly rough handling of sheep during shearing on an Otago farm — as a "disgraceful hit job".
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) this week revealed it went to 11 farms and shearing sheds in New Zealand that produced ZQ-certified wool from 2023 to the end of last year and said this showed disturbing conduct, such as hitting sheep with objects or repeatedly slamming a sheep’s head into a board.
The New York Post also reported animal abuse had allegedly occurred at former American television host Matt Lauer’s Hunter Valley Station near Lake Hāwea.
Federated Farmers said the Peta investigation was a disgraceful hit job.
The group should "hang their heads in shame for this disgusting attack on New Zealand sheep farmers", meat and wool chairman Toby Williams said.
"In reality, what you’re seeing in that video is a montage showing some isolated examples of poor practice that most Kiwi farmers simply wouldn’t put up with in their shearing shed."
New Zealand farmers had high animal welfare standards, he said.
Mr Williams said the cost of bringing in shearers was not covered by selling the wool.
"If we didn’t shear our sheep, they’d be pretty uncomfortable, at risk of overheating, and be really susceptible to parasites and disease."
Peta called the ZQ certification programme a sham for the New Zealand Merino Company, which had described itself as ethical.
The company said yesterday the footage was distressing and showed several instances of animal abuse.
Images shared by Peta were confronting and upsetting, it said.
"We are committed to investigating all allegations and urge Peta to provide us more detail about filming locations and the timing of the recordings."
The Ministry for Primary Industries is also investigating.
However, the New Zealand Merino Company disputed a Peta claim.
"We can confirm that the one property named by Peta to the New York Post is not and has never been a supplier to the ZQ programme."
Peta Asia senior vice-president Jason Baker said ZQ boxes could be seen in a photo taken at Hunter Valley.
"When an industry is caught abusing animals, it often resorts to deflection, denial and downplaying the documented cruelty," he said.
Peta said people should "take action for sheep by urging Allbirds, Fjallraven, Helly Hansen and LVMH’s Loro Piana to stop hiding behind meaningless ZQ standards and end their use of wool".
Mr Baker said the New Zealand Merino Company was guilty of producing "crocodile tears".
It prioritised profits over compassion, he said.
"Shearers, incentivised to work as quickly as possible, often handle the animals roughly, slicing them open and leaving them with gaping wounds," Mr Baker said.
"These injuries are stitched up without any painkillers. Terrified and bleeding, the sheep are then thrown down chutes like discarded objects."
Peta acknowledged to the New York Post that it did not contact Mr Lauer about alleged abuse at the farm.
He bought the lease of 10,000ha, including the high country sheep farm, on the shores of Lake Hāwea for more than $17.5 million in 2017.
He leased part of the land to the Cochrane family and is not involved with operation of the farm.
Mr Lauer told the paper he had no knowledge of alleged problems before being contacted by the paper and he had commissioned his own investigation.
Digby Cochrane and his wife, Hannah, who have operated Hunter Valley Farming for decades, told the paper Mr Lauer had contacted them in the past week to discuss Peta’s allegations.
"At shearing time we employ independent shearing contractors to shear the sheep, who work in accordance with New Zealand industry-accepted guidelines and practices," the Cochranes said in a statement to The Post.
