Ag-gag to stop farm privacy breaches: govt

Activists who break into farming properties to film vision of animal cruelty could soon face prosecution.

The federal government is working with the states on controversial "ag-gag" laws to stop people from placing cameras in factory farms in the hope of exposing animal welfare breaches.

Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce is in discussions with his state counterparts to co-ordinate state laws from a federal level to stop "vigilantes".

Many farmers felt violated by the breach of privacy, he said.

"If someone breaks into your house in the middle of the night, you would be stirred up too," he told reporters in Canberra on Monday.

But the Australian Greens have accused the minister of "hoodwinking" Australians through laws that would protect perpetrators of animal cruelty.

Whistleblowers played an important part in highlighting the need for better farm practices, Greens senator Lee Rhiannon said.

Mr Joyce said if a crime has been committed, it should be reported to police.

"Once we endorse individual groups to go on farms, why don't we allow vigilante groups to go down topple houses and break in to check if people are involved in domestic violence," he said.