The Pork Industry Board has set up a new welfare audit system for pig farms as it moves to quell criticism over its advice to farmers to keep any welfare breaches secret.

The system will be run by AsureQuality and will evolve to come into line with the Ministry of Agriculture’s new pig welfare code.

Pork Industry Board chief executive Sam McIvor wouldn’t speak about the launch, but said in a statement the system would provide independent assessment of farming practices and alert MAF of any serious welfare breach.

And while Mr McIvor is stressing the need for privacy in setting up the system, Green MP Sue Kedgley is calling for all the details of the Pork Board’s latest audit to be made public.

Ms Kedgley says consumers have a right to know the conditions on farms they buy pork from.

“They’re just flailing around, casting around for an excuse to try to keep the conditions in piggeries secret from New Zealanders and I think it’s a disgrace. ”

Ms Kedgley is imploring Agriculture Minister David Carter to step in, and says his deferring of the issue to the Ombudsman is a cop-out.

“Completely passing the buck. The Ombudsman, he or she can look into but it can take years so it’s just kicking for touch. And frankly I was appalled that the Minister was just basically saying ‘No, nothing I can do, nothing I’m intending to do.’”