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Sow stalls are small cages in which mother pigs are individually confined prior to giving birth. In these cages, they are unable to turn around; they can only stand up, lie down, or take one or two steps forwards or backwards.
In 2010, following exposure by activists and mounting public pressure, the Australian pork industry committed to phasing out sow stalls by 2017. Understandably, most consumers would assume that this means sow stalls – or any small cages for sows – were eliminated five years ago (a 2021 Roy Morgan Research poll found that 71.6% of people believe products labelled as 'sow stall free' should not come from pigs who spent any time in any form of individual confinement). The lesser-known caveat, however, is that cages are still permitted to be used for up to five days after sows are impregnated. Australian Pork Limited's website currently states:
"The Australian pork industry has taken a world-leading position by voluntarily committing to phasing out sow stalls. This means sows will not be confined in stalls from five days after they are last mated until one week before farrowing when they are then moved into farrowing accommodation.
The Australian pork industry committed to voluntarily phasing out sow stalls by 2017. This came after many years of research into alternative housing methods. Today, we aim to ensure sows are kept in loose housing from five days after mating, until one week before they are ready to give birth."
This five day limit is not monitored or enforced, meaning there’s nothing to stop pig farmers keeping pigs in cages for longer periods of time.
Farm Transparency Project investigators visited six Victorian piggeries in early 2022, all with sow cages in active use, five years after the phase-out was to come into effect. Hidden cameras were installed at two of the locations (Midland Bacon at Carag Carag, and Markanda Piggery at Wyuna), which revealed that sows were confined to the cages for weeks at a time – 27 days at Midland, and at least 26 days at Markanda at which point the cameras were removed.
The hidden cameras at Midland also reveal workers kicking and jabbing sows with a metal pole to get them to move.
One of these piggeries, Gowanbrae at Pine Lodge (near Shepparton), is owned by Sunpork. Sunpork is Australia’s largest pork producer, and supplies to Coles, Woolworths, IGA, Costco, and international supermarkets including Countdown. Sunpork’s website states:
“As one of the first pig producers in the country to eliminate sow stalls, we understand that ethically reared produce is critical to success.”
The footage shows sows packed so tightly together that their legs are underneath the sow in the cage next to them. One sow is seen urinating on the legs of another as there’s no room to avoid it. Other sows show obvious signs of distress – repeatedly biting at the bars of the cage, bobbing and weaving their head, or pushing their head through the bars.
It is presumed that there are many more piggeries across Victoria and the rest of the country that are still confining mother pigs to cages for long periods at a time, despite Australian Pork Limited assuring the public that they were phased out five years ago. Farm Transparency Project is calling on the Andrews government to step in and implement a legislative ban on the cruel practice, in order to force the industry into compliance.
It's important to note, however, that the vast majority of pig farms in Australia still confine pigs to small cages in 'farrowing crates', for an average of six weeks at at time. Regardless of how they are raised, most pigs are killed in horrific gas chambers. As a consumer, the only way to avoid paying for cruelty in the pig farming industry is to stop eating pigs altogether.
View all 33 videos for this campaign in the video gallery
It's clear the pork industry can't be trusted. Most of us see ourselves as animal lovers; yet our actions may be contributing to the abuse and violent slaughter of individuals who live, breathe and feel just as much as our dogs and cats.
The only way to be sure you’re not supporting the abuse of farmed animals, is to stop eating them. Take the pledge today to leave animals off your plate and live vegan.
Media release by Andy Meddick MP (Animal Justice Party Victoria) - 21 September 2022
Media release: Tuesday 4 Feb 2025
Footage from five more Victorian piggeries has been released by animal protection organisation Farm Transparency Project. The footage was taken by unknown investigators who filmed inside 20 piggeries across the weekend of the 18th & 19th January, before anonymously providing video and photos to Farm Transparency Project. The latest footage to be released shows pigs in filthy conditions, covered in their own waste; high numbers of dead and dying piglets; pigs living in rat infested sheds; and sow stalls, which the Australian pork industry promised to phase out almost 10 years ago. Animal protection organisation Farm Transparency has published footage from...
Media release: Tuesday 28 Jan 2025
Footage from five Victorian piggeries has been released by animal rights organisation Farm Transparency Project, who say that a further 15 will be exposed in the coming weeks. Video taken inside the piggery shows dead and dying piglets, dirty conditions, pigs living in their own waste and sows with large pressure sores, cuts and scratches, evidence of fighting between pigs. The footage was gathered by anonymous, civilian investigators over two nights earlier this month. The investigators then provided the footage, and evidence of the date and location of its capture to Farm Transparency Project to review and publish. Footage from the...
Media release: Tuesday 21 Jan 2025
Animal rights campaigners have laid dozens of dead piglets at the offices of Victorian Premier, Jacinta Allan, in a protest against the government's refusal to address "urgent" animal welfare issues. Advocacy group Farm Transparency Project (FTP) organised the protest after receiving footage showing shocking, filthy and cruel conditions at twenty Victorian piggeries, filmed covertly by dozens of activists over the weekend. Further footage and the names of all twenty facilities will be released by FTP in the coming weeks. Animal rights campaigners have gathered outside the ministerial office of Victorian Premier, Jacinta Allan, in a protest against the government's continued...
Media release: Wednesday 20 Mar 2024
30+ animal activists are protesting outside a Northern Victoria pig farm, after “sickening” bestiality act revealed last week. 30+ animal activists have gathered outside Midland Bacon pig farm in Carag Carag, demanding the release of the sow who last month was captured on camera being raped by a worker, while confined to a farrowing crate. A global petition to free the sow, who activists have named Olivia, has been signed by over 13,000 people. The activists have arrived at the farm with a livestock trailer and are demanding that she be released into the care of an animal sanctuary. The protest has been...
Media release: Monday 11 Mar 2024
Footage captured last month by Farm Transparency Project shows a worker at a Victorian piggery raping a female pig (sow) who is confined in a farrowing crate. The footage, aired exclusively on ABC's 7.30 program, was captured accidentally by the group, who set out to expose routine animal cruelty ahead of the public hearings for the Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry into pig welfare, which begin tomorrow (Tue 12 March) in Melbourne. Investigators who captured the footage have said that they were taken completely by surprise by the sickening act, which they reported to authorities as soon as they could. The group have also...
Media release: Monday 8 Jan 2024
Farm Transparency Project has released an interactive virtual-reality tour of a major Victorian piggery, using 360° footage they captured while trespassing in the facility in late 2023. The group states that the tour is their latest way to increase public awareness of modern pig farming practices, and to encourage members of the public to make a submission to the ongoing Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry into Pig Welfare. The footage shows mother pigs (sows) and piglets in breeding and 'weaner' sheds, and contains embedded videos featuring a guided tour of the facility by Executive Director of Farm Transparency Project, Chris Delforce, who points out...
Media release: Wednesday 11 Jan 2023
Pork giant Sunpork has removed a statement from its website claiming that it has eliminated sow stalls, after an investigation by Farm Transparency Project exposed the use of cages for mother pigs in a piggery owned by the company The statement was on Sunpork's website up until November 2022, but has now been removed following the exposé which revealed the widespread use of sow stalls in Victorian piggeries, 5 years after the industry claimed to have phased them out Sunpork supplies to major supermarkets including Coles and Woolworths, and had proudly claimed themselves to be one of the first pork producers to...
Media release: Wednesday 21 Sep 2022
Media release by Andy Meddick MP (Animal Justice Party Victoria) - An undercover investigation by Farm Transparency Project has revealed at least six Victorian piggeries are confining mother pigs to small cages, despite an industry phase-out deadline of 2017.
Wednesday 21 Sep 2022 by
Pigs in Victoria are still being held in narrow pens that are not wide enough for the animals to turn around, despite an industry promise to stop using them five years ago, according to the Animal Justice party.
Wednesday 21 Sep 2022 by
Animal activists have accused several Victorian piggeries of using sow stalls for extended periods, despite the pork industry pledging to voluntarily phase out the practice by 2017.
Sunday 6 Nov 2022 by
Animal activists have stormed a Coles in Melbourne’s CBD to protest in the meat aisle over the plight of caged pigs.
Sunday 6 Nov 2022 by
The Farm Transparency Project leader has called for a complete ban on the sow stalls, saying the "suffering and violence" is "inherent to modern animal farming" and is still used by many Australian farmers
Sunday 6 Nov 2022 by
Angry vegans storm the meat aisle of Coles blocking off customers from buying pork and declaring that all animal product should be ILLEGAL.
Monday 7 Nov 2022 by
Tuesday 8 Nov 2022 by
A group of animal activists who stormed a Coles supermarket in Melbourne on Sunday afternoon to protest the manner pigs are farmed in the country has sparked a debate over their use of graphic imagery to get their message across.
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