Regional News Asia
Welfare Groups Want Modern Farming Banned INDIA - Humane Society International and the Animal Welfare Board of India have asked the Commerce Minister to prohibit foreign direct investment that introduces intensive farming systems. Humane Society International (HSI) and the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) have asked Shri. Anand Sharma, Minister of Commerce & Industry to prohibit foreign direct investment for the rearing of animals in cages, crates, or other forms of intensive confinement that violate the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act of 1960. The organisations sent letters to Minister Sharma in response to a new Government of India policy encouraging 100 per cent foreign direct investment for the rearing of animals under intensive farming systems. Internationally, the animal agribusiness sector is known for intensive systems that confine egg laying hens, breeding sows and other farm animals in cages and crates that prevent them from walking,
fully stretching their limbs and performing many other important natural behaviour. The AWBI letter states that India's PCA Act specifically forbids the confinement of 'any animals in any cage or receptacle which does not measure sufficiently in height, length and breadth to permit the animal a reasonable opportunity for movement'. Conventional egg production systems, which confine laying hens in battery cages that prevent the birds from fully spreading their limbs are allowed by the foreign direct investment policy but are in violation of the PCA Act. Therefore, the new foreign direct investment policy may violate the animal protection law enacted by the Parliament of India. N.G. Jayasimha, manager of HSI's factory farming campaign in India, commented: "The Government must encourage animal welfare and environmental sustainability within the Indian food sector by only allowing those foreign companies who adhere to high standards for animal... Read More...
S Korean Firm Buys US Poultry Producer
Consumers Swap from Pork to Chicken
SOUTH KOREA - Harim Co., a South Korean food company, has taken over a US chicken company in a bid to expand its global market presence.
VIET NAM - Big price rises for pork are causing many people to purchase chicken, which has fallen in price.
Harim said its US unit, Harim USA, got approval from a bankruptcy court in Delaware on 27 July after winning the right at an auction earlier this week to buy Allen Family Food Inc.
With pork prices skyrocketing, housewives are being encouraged to replace the meat with chicken to economise, according to Vietnam Business News. Read More...
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