Danish agriculture minister Dan Jorgensen has agreed to new pig welfare targets with producers, vets and animal welfare campaigners.
Some of the targets include:
• Improve survival rates among piglets.
• Encourage uptake of free-farrowing systems for sows — at least 10 per cent of sows by 2020.
• Find alternatives to castration without anaesthetic by 2018 latest.
• Reduce numbers of tail-docked piglets.
• Lower incidence of stomach ulcers in both sows and finishing pigs
In addition, a project for new housing design will focus on welfare considerations and the meat industry and retail trade will provide consumers with a greater choice of higher welfare products.
