The Green party is calling for Nathan Guy to immediately order the removal of herbicide tolerant (HT) swedes from the market following new reports of cows experiencing ill-health after eating them.
Last week DairyNZ updated an advisory on its website about HT Swedes, saying "in 2017, there have been two
farms experiencing ill-health with cows on swedes".
In 2014 hundreds of dairy cows died in Southland from liver damage after eating swedes.
"It's simple, HT swedes should be taken off the shelf immediately. The Government knows there's a risk to animal health that can't be managed if these swedes are still on the market," says Green Party pesticide spokesperson Steffan Browning.
"It's extraordinary they're still being sold. They should have been taken off the market back in 2015 when tests showed that HT swedes caused liver damage in livestock.
"Instead, Nathan Guy has put industry interests ahead of animal welfare by allowing these swedes to continue being sold, despite knowing the risks.
