The background for the inspection campaign was a local inspection project carried out by the Food Safety Authority in Rogaland, and the Brennpunkt film “The secrets of the pig industry”. Large deviations Through the campaign, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority has seen that there is a large variation in how Norwegian pigs fare. The report, which was presented at the Litteraturhuset in Oslo today, states: “We have seen that many pig producers operate well, with few or no violations of the rules. Some drive well beyond the requirements. However, other pig producers operate very poorly, with many and/or serious breaches of the rules.” Fixed sow that does not have the option to turn around. Photo: Norwegian Food Safety Authority The worst pig herds, which have many violations of the rules, or repeated serious violations, must be permanently improved or closed down. A pig with an open hole where the tail should have been. Photo: Norwegian Food Safety Authority Arouses reactions Pig farmer Bredo Våland on Jæren reacts to the Norwegian Food Safety Authority’s report. – I think the focus is wrong. It is never good what the Norwegian Food Safety Authority finds, but all pig farmers are punished for this. If someone does something wrong in another profession, then the focus is on the person who has done something wrong. But in the farming profession, the entire industry is criticized. Bredo Våland with his pigs. Photo: Ole Andreas Bø / news Many pig farmers are terrified Våland supplies meat to, among other things, the two-star Michelin restaurant Renaa in Stavanger. He has a theory as to why there are so many inspections. – There are strong forces that want to put an end to animal husbandry and that we eat meat. In Sweden, farmers are threatened. Many pig producers walk around terrified, even though they have everything in order. Is this how we want it? Has covered the whole country In the southern and western regions and the central region, there was roughly the same proportion of herds with rule violations. But in the south and west they found a significantly larger proportion of the most serious cases. Photo: NATIONAL INSPECTION CAMPAIGN ON THE WELFARE OF PIGS 2021–2022 In the region south and west, the largest proportion of herds with many rule violations and the largest proportion of cases of inadequate treatment of sick and injured animals were discovered. It was here that they had to use the strongest forms of reaction. Muddy bin with pigs smeared with faeces. Photo: The Norwegian Food Safety Authority The pigs do not get enough root material and bedding One or more violations of the rules have been discovered in well over half of the herds inspected. Several of the rule breaches related to too little root material and litter and to poor follow-up of sick and injured animals. A mucky pig with swollen eyes. Photo: The Norwegian Food Safety Authority Approximately one in three did not meet the requirements for root material, and approximately one in four did not meet the requirements for litter. This affects the welfare of very many pigs. The Norwegian Food Safety Authority points out that when pigs do not receive the treatment they should, when they are ill or injured, it has a major impact on their well-being. It is painful for the pig to be sick or injured, and the Norwegian Food Safety Authority takes a very serious view that as many as a quarter of pig producers do not take care of sick and injured pigs in a satisfactory manner. It’s too bad. 115 urgent decision In cases where the Norwegian Food Safety Authority discovers that someone is breaking the rules for keeping animals, action must be taken to ensure that the rules are followed in the future. In this campaign, 115 urgent decisions were made. Of these, 25 were euthanasia decisions.
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Uncovered rule violations in more than half of the pig herds – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
