March 26, 2008

EU to address piglet castration issue
 

Piglet castration with anesthetics is becoming one of the hot topics among EU member states.

Last year, the Netherlands has drafted agreements to anaesthetise castration of pigs but the country intends to go one step further by planning to convince the EU to ban the practise of castration.

Norway had also decided to go ahead with the banning of castration last year despite the EU's request in delaying the prohibition. The topic of piglet castration is also gaining prominence in Switzerland and Belgium once again.

EU researchers are now working on PIGCAS, a project that aims to provide information on pig castration that will support the EU policy. Researchers estimated anaesthetised castration costs EUR1 (US$1.5) per piglet, and that the procedure would costs the industry EUR 13 million (US$20.3 million) per year.

Castration using CO2-anaesthetic is perceived as a better choice and a visit to Switzerland is planned, where the practise is in advanced development. Last year, the Netherlands conducted a study in castration using a gas anesthetic made up of 70 percent of CO2 and 30 percent of O2. Tests of instruments are conducted early this year, and the Dutch Agricultural Economics Research Institutes (LEI) has begun to create a cost calculation tool, with the results to be available in 2008 mid-year.

In August 2003, the EU requested the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to release a scientific review on the welfare aspects of piglet castration. The report was released in July 2004 and it concluded that about 80 percent or 100 million of male pigs and only low numbers of female pigs are castrated in the EU each year. However, it also indicated a certain lack of information from some countries, including the lack of information concerning techniques of female pigs castration.

The report added that female pigs of certain breeds were castrated either to avoid management problems and pregnancy at slaughter, or to improve growth performance.