Herbert farms with Brad Markham in Taranaki. Last year they were Auckland-Hauraki sharefarmers of the year.
He was reacting to another release of covertly gathered film footage by radical animal welfare group Farmwatch of bobby calves being mistreated.
The Ministry for Primary Industry has launched an investigation in to the footage that showed calves being dropped, dragged and thrown by truck drivers and a farm worker.
MPI compliance operations manager Gary Orr said the footage was disappointing given the ministry had worked with the industry to promote best practice in animal welfare.
Herbert was disgusted at the footage but also scathing of the actions of Farmwatch.
“Every farmer I know is disgusted by it,” he said of the calf treatment.
“It’s not representative of the dairy industry in New Zealand and the industry needs to come together and say this is not who we are, this is not acceptable and we do not want people like this in our industry.”
Herbert also called on Federated Farmers to display stronger leadership against farmers breaching animal welfare standards.
“They should be telling these operators to shape up or ship out.”
“We’ve got no real way of saying ‘this is how we really do it’ and they know it."
He questioned Farmwatch’s motives by waiting up to two months before releasing the footage by which stage calving had ended and farmers couldn’t respond, let alone its failure to alert authorities to the mistreatment.
“We’ve got no real way of saying ‘this is how we really do it’ and they know it.
“If they are as concerned about animal welfare as they say, why did they hold on to this for a month or so after?
“It brings into question what these people are trying to achieve.”
Herbert said in his experience and those he has spoken to, this bobby calf season was “faultless” with calves correctly presented and handled.
He believed Farmwatch was trying to tarnish all dairy farmers and said it was up to the industry to show the footage was not typical of the sector.
The Farmwatch website offered only an email link to the organisation and Farmers Weekly emailed an invitation to interview a group member.
No one replied.
Its website said the group served as a voice for animals by investigating and exposing cruelty because animals experienced feelings “similar to our own and deserve to live a natural life free from suffering and slaughter”.
It encouraged readers to “turn their back on cruel farming industries and adopt a vegan lifestyle”.
