Whistleblowers sought to name dodgy piggeries

An animal welfare group wants concerned people to report on factory farmers who it says are making life "hell on earth" for their pigs.

Save Animals from Exploitation (Safe) is calling for people to tell them about piggeries which abuse or neglect their animals, following a Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) decision not to prosecute a Levin farm.

"Safe is appealing to farm workers, drivers, packers and others employed within the pig industry to come forward and blow the whistle on their troubled industry. Confidentiality will be assured," campaign director Hans Kriek said, saying contact details were available through Safe's campaign website, www.lovepigs.org.nz.

"It is clear this industry is in serious trouble and can no longer be trusted with the welfare of its pig population."

Mr Kriek said the group had received a number of reports of inhumane conditions at piggeries across New Zealand, following the airing of a filmed activist raid on TVNZ's Sunday programme last week.

A video clip of taken from the Sunday show was available on Youtube.com.

The pig farmer, former New Zealand Pork Industry Board chairman Colin Kay, was cleared of cruelty and neglect charges after an independent inspection of his farm yesterday.

His farm was also investigated three years ago and cleared then of any wrongdoing.

But Mr Kriek said the fact Mr Kay was an industry leader showed how bad the situation was in the industry.