Reality Check

To quote Christine Ross, much respected free range pig farmer and farmers' market stallholder, "A very serious and very sad event occurred in Victoria this week." You may have heard in the news the LE Giles Abattoir in Gippsland was closed within 12 hours of a video being released by Animals Australia to Primesafe, the Victorian meat authority .If you choose to view the video on Animals Australia's website, I warn you it is extremely distressing and certainly necessitated an immediate response. It is not whether the situation happened or that animal cruelty isn't one of the most important ethical issues which confronts us. The question farmers, who know the abbatoir well and depend upon it for their livelihood, are asking is whether the response and consequntial impact was properly considered and whether it is fair on all concerned. 

In my role as President of the Victorian Farmers' Markets Association, I have prepared a statement which tries to outline the complexities from within the industry without buying into the debate. You can read it and more of Christine Ross' sentiments by clicking here.