powered piggery tackles rising costs and welfare reforms
Taranaki pig farmer Karl Stanley is investing in a multimillion-dollar, solar-powered shed to modernize his operation. The expansion aims to improve animal welfare and maintain business viability amid rising costs and changing regulations.
Why it matters
This highlights the intersection of sustainable energy, agricultural modernization, and the economic pressures facing small-scale food producers.
Karl Stanley in the farrowing shed at Stanley Bros. Photo / RNZ, Sally Round
Taranaki pig farmer Karl Stanley hopes a multimillion-dollar extension to his piggery, powered by solar energy, will help future-proof the business amid changing welfare regulations, increasing costs and consumer demands.
The new 75m x 16m shed, which will house up to 1000 grower pigs and allow reconfiguration of the rest of Stanley Bros’ 5000-pig operation near Ōpunake, is well underway.
With automatically controlled temperature, lighting and ventilation systems, it’s impressed Stanley. “It’s going to be a cracker of a shed when it’s done,” he told RNZ’s Country Life .
“We’ve got a long road ahead of us, but we’re up for the challenge.”
Stanley, who originally started out in viticulture and winemaking, came back to the family farm 12 years ago.
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