WHEN Mark and Charisse Ladner decided to shift from cattle and sheep to pig production 10 years ago, they opted for free-range farming.
"Animal welfare is a huge issue for us," Mr Ladner told The Australian.
"We wanted to create an environment in which I was happy to work."
Most pigs are raised intensively, in sheds. It took four years of research before the Ladners set up their RSPCA-approved free-range pig farm, Gooralie, north of Goondiwindi in southern Queensland.
Mr Ladner said the 850 sows, 20 boars and the many piglets on his farm "get to play, they get to roll in mud, if it is hot they get to go to the wallow".
Each sow gets her own birthing suite - a hut with straw on the floor.
"We put eight sows in a paddock and each sow finds a hut, then she farrows in there. It is that simple."
It might sound like it is back to nature but the huts are made of special insulated materials.
"They are very expensive so it adds to our cost of production as does our pre-weaning mortality, which is higher than in conventional piggeries."
Intensive piggeries have special crates that confine the sow but allow the piglets out. In the huts, some tiny piglets get crushed by mum's huge bulk.
"There is a trade-off to the system," Mr Ladner said.
Gooralie pork is sold direct to butchers who have customers willing to pay a premium for the free-range, antibiotic-free pork.
"Because there is less stress on the animal it certainly tastes better," Mr Ladner said.
Pig farming hit the headlines this month when Coles supermarket, in response to consumer concerns, said it would phase out pork from farms that use sow stalls.
Sow stalls are metal crates, 2m long by 60cm wide. Sows stay in them for up to the 16 weeks of their pregnancy. They are unable to turn around in the stalls.
The stalls allow farmers to keep more sows, and prevent the sows - which can become aggressive while pregnant - from fighting.
While Mr Ladner does not use sow stalls, he is concerned the Coles ban will discriminate against Australian farmers because it will not apply to the 70 per cent of pork that is imported from the US, Canada and Denmark.
Australian Pork Ltd estimates the cost of shifting away from sow stalls at between $400 to $900 per sow.
CEO Andrew Spencer said the move would increase the price of pork, making Australian pork less competitive.
Coles general manager of meat Allister Watson said it was difficult to get overseas producers to give up sow stalls.
"We don't want to wait to change the whole world. We can make one change.
"We can do it locally in Australia and differentiate ourselves and our farmers," he said.
Read more on The Australian.
