Following the recently discovered scandalous conditions at a chicken farm in Styria, the AMA ordered additional unannounced inspections. There were no complaints, it said Tuesday – but there was a “need for improvement” among “individual companies”.
The shocking stumbling block was recordings of the said fattening operation, which revealed gross abuses. The association against animal factories announced this shortly before Christmas. The footage was from the summer of 2022, according to the AMA. As a result, the AMA announced inspections of the companies, which have now apparently been completed. According to the AMA, there were “neither systematic deviations nor grounds for complaints related to animal husbandry”.
However, it was admitted that there was a “need for improvement on individual farms” – documentation as well as barn tours and adherence to rest times were reported.
More unannounced checks
Also, the AMA announced changes – for example with regard to the steering. “In particular, the relationship between announced and unannounced audits will change,” said Christina Mutenthaler-Sipek, Managing Director of AMA Marketing. “In order to improve prevention, there will also be more advice and training for companies on livestock farming and care in the future. We are also working on a larger digital network of data from all official and private control bodies.”
“Independent, accredited control bodies”
If deviations are found during checks, they will be penalized differently depending on the degree of violation. In 2022, AMA Marketing excluded about 50 companies from the AMA quality mark program. “AMA Marketing is the licensor of the state-recognized AMA quality mark and awards it on the basis of clear regulations,” says the AMA Marketing Manager. This guarantees the quality and safety of the foodstuffs marked with it. “We let these rules carefully and risk-checked – by independent, accredited auditing bodies.”
In any case, there are strict consequences for those farmers who fail to adhere to the AMA guidelines they are contractually committed to, Mutenthaler-Sipek said.
The AMA additional module “slow growing varieties”, decided in 2019, has not yet been used. So far, no companies have registered for this. The reasons: more feed and time are needed for rearing, so higher sales prices and consumers’ willingness to pay for them. There are also still too few parent flocks of slow-growing chicken breeds and therefore no chicks in sufficient numbers.
Rewe boss: “Obvious operating system failure”
The boss of Rewe in Austria, Marcel Haraszti, recently criticized Agrarmarkt Austria (AMA) after the appalling conditions in a Styrian AMA poultry farm became known. “Everyone should now demand tighter controls from the AMA.” It is not possible to “peek through checks”. “This is a clear failure of the control system,” said the manager of Billa and Penny’s mother.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
