Wellington, May 27 NZPA - The Green Party wants Prime Minister John Key to personally fix the sow crate problem and doesn't appear to trust Agriculture Minister David Carter to sort it out.

Mr Key has said the code that covers the treatment of pigs needs to be changed if images shown on a television programme reflect the state of the industry nationwide.

He is leaving it to Mr Carter, who is looking into it, and the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (Nawac) which is considering the 2005 pig code.

Green Party MP Sue Kedgley said last night Mr Key should intervene.

She said Mr Carter was briefed about sow crates when National was in opposition in 2005, and yet he reacted to the TV programme by saying he hadn't been aware they were widely used.

Ms Kedgley said she was concerned about Nawac's ability to make fair and impartial recommendations because its chairman, Peter O'Hara, had said there was no reason to think pigs weren't happy in sow crates and phasing them out would be very expensive.

"Dr O'Hara seems to have made up his mind on the issue already and appears to have more concern for factory farmers' pocket books than the welfare of the animals he is charged with looking out for," Ms Kedgley said.

The uproar broke out after TVNZ's Sunday programme broadcast footage of an animal rights organisation escorting comedian Mike King around a Horowhenua intensive pig farm they had broken into.

King, a long-standing front man for a campaign advertising pork, said he was deeply ashamed of his role.

The pigs were unable to move in their crates and were obviously in distress, chewing on cage bars and frothing at the mouth.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is investigating the piggery that was filmed.

It is owned by former New Zealand Pork Industry Board chairman Colin Kay who has said the pigs did not normally behave the way they were shown.

NZPA