Swine news - Management

The new code published by the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (Defra) provides guidance to pig producers on how to practice the highest standards of animal welfare.

Two decrees have been published, the first prohibits castration of piglets without anesthetics or analgesics, and the other allows farmers to use analgesics and anesthetics to reduce pain.

The government is taking new measures to control nitrogen pollution. Funds are available for the pig production cessation scheme.

The ministry has budgeted 20 million euros in 2020 to promote the purchase of anaesthetics, providing financial support to livestock farmers.

The new Animal Welfare Act respects animals as living and sentient beings, forming the framework for improving animal welfare for animals in Denmark.

New Civil Code recognizes that animals have feelings, putting 'animals' in a new category apart from 'people' and 'goods.' Animal rights organization GAIA is satisfied with this new legislation.

A transparent and harmonised EU animal welfare label could meet rising consumer expectations, open a new market, and improve animal welfare.

Starting in February, pigs in transport must not be without feed, water or rest for more than 28 hours, according to The Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s Health of Animals Regulations

The Council invites the Commission to develop a new EU strategy for the protection and welfare of animals.

The European Commission has adopted a Decision extending the mandate of the EU Platform on Animal Welfare until 30 June 2021.

FVE and EAPHM to work together with national authorities to promote the establishment an implementation of a system to eliminate the need for routine tail docking to better animal welfare.

The Thünen Institute for Business Administration provides German pig producers with an Excel tool as a decision-making aid for the surgical alternatives for anesthetic-free piglet castration.

Eurogroup for Animals and its 69 member organisations are calling for a move away from high concentration CO2 stunning of pigs, a common method of slaughter.

Increase in the number of penalised farms and in the seriousness of the fines for the unfulfillment of the animal welfare regulations.

The Minister of Agriculture of The Netherlands, Ms Carola Schouten, has agreed to end routine tail docking of piglets by 2030 with the Dutch pig sector.

The initiative presented by Lower Saxony regarding obligatory nature of an animal welfare labelling did not reach the needed majority when voted in the Bundesrat last September 20th, 2019.

The European Livestock and Meat Trades Union (UECBV) has developed a document with the aim of creating a comprehensive and harmonised scientific methodology that can be used by the industry stakeholders to calculate the product environmental footprint of red meat and to determine the impact of the red meat supply chain.

This year, Bulgaria will update and upgrade the National Information System for Registration, Identification, Tracking and Control of Animal Health Status - VetIS.

The Commission informed ministers about the issue of long distance transport of animals in summer conditions and its impact on animal welfare.

FVE calls to prevent suffering of animals during long distance transports, in particular under extreme temperatures. EU countries should avoid long distance export of animals in periods when temperatures are expected to go above 30°, which puts the welfare of the animals at risk.

A new guide to help farmers improve the environment by reducing ammonia emissions has been launched by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA).

The Agriculture and Livestock Service (SAG) and ASPROCER have published a Handbook on good animal welfare management practices in pig production.