Pigs deserve better conditions

By the end of this month, Swiss pig farmers must have made a decision: either they continue operating under the new animal welfare standards or they shut down.

In 2008, parliament passed a revision of the Animal Welfare Act, which gave pig, goat, and sheep farmers, among others, ten years to adapt to the new, stricter regulations.

Fully slatted floors are banned

Pig barn operators must in particular revise the flooring in their facilities. From 1 September onwards, fully slatted floors will be prohibited. The openings in the floor for draining excrement must be reduced to between two and five percent of the total surface area. In addition, the space per animal must be increased by one third, from 0.6 square metres to 0.9 for an adult fattening pig weighing between 80 and 110 kilograms.

These adaptations come at a high cost for pig farmers. For an individual farmer, the investments can amount to several hundred thousand francs up to one million francs.

A third of operations must adapt

The situation in the canton of Fribourg illustrates the hesitant attitude in pig fattening. Last year, the cantonal veterinary office inspected the 250 operations each keeping more than 30 pigs. At that time, 54 percent already complied with the new standard.

Of the roughly 6’000 pig farming operations in Switzerland, around one fifth are directly affected by the new regulations, particularly in the fattening sector, estimates Adrian Schütz, deputy director of Suisseporcs. This results in an expected shortfall of around 60’000 places for fattening piglets.

The association raised the alarm within the industry early on: Suisseporcs called on farmers to cull 7’000 breeding sows from 2017 onwards. This is equivalent to forgoing five percent of pig production.

The law of competition

In addition to the new federal regulations, the main problem lies in the pork market, which is becoming less and less attractive for producers. «Between 2013 and this year, they lost more than 90’000 francs in annual income due to the decline in meat prices by around one franc per kilogram,» explains the Suisseporc deputy director.

The improvement in production performance, combined with a decline in pork consumption in Switzerland (22 kilograms compared to 30 kilograms per inhabitant 15 years ago), has led to overproduction. The Swiss pig sector covers 97 percent of market demand, while the federal government is aiming for around 92 percent.

One thing is certain for now: there will be no grace period for operators who have not adapted, says the Federal Veterinary Office (BVET). «The ten years were more than enough to bring the facilities built shortly before 2008 up to standard or make them profitable,» says BVET spokesperson Nathalie Rochat. More on Animal Rights.