‘It’s a shame’: Australian farmer who grew ‘dirt’ for pigs is now banned

‘It’s a shame’: Australian farmer who grew ‘dirt’ for pigs is now banned

A farmer who once sold pigs to the supermarket chain has been banned from reopening his farm, after it was found to have grown “dirt” for pigs.

Key points:In 2014, an undercover investigation revealed the farm was growing and selling the pig manure and other waste products to retailersThe ABC has learned that the owner was told by the NSW Agriculture Department to close down the farm, and the Department of Agriculture has now closed the farm’s operationsThe Australian Agriculture and Horticulture Authority (AAHA) said the farm “is no longer in the business of growing or selling food”.

“The investigation was conducted in 2014 and we were made aware of an ongoing issue,” AAHA regional managing director, Chris Hill, told ABC News.

“In July 2015, the farm ceased trading and it was not until the following March that we were informed of a possible breach of the ABC’s Food Standards Code.”

It’s disappointing that the farmer, whose name is not being released at this time, has been able to continue operating.

“He said the AAHA had notified the farm of the breach in April, but it had not been acted on.”

The AAHA will continue to investigate and take appropriate action,” Mr Hill said.

Mr Hill said the pig farmer was still required to pay a $2,500 fine, but that the farm had been operating for two years and had never been found to be in breach of food safety regulations.”

A lot of the farm would be closed if we didn’t have the enforcement, he said.

“There’s a lot of concern about how the industry operates and how it’s managed and that’s a problem that we’re going to be working on as we move forward.”

The ABC contacted the ABC for comment, but has not yet received a response.AAP/ABC