Document type : News item from la France agricole
Author: La France agricole with AFP
Preview: Under the weight of public pressure, the live castration of piglets is being reduced in Europe. Despite this, the production of whole male pigs remains a minority activity in Europe.
Out of 255 million pigs slaughtered per year in Europe, 50% are females, 18% are whole males, 30% have been castrated with or without anaesthesia, while 2% have received an "immunocastration" or "anti-odour vaccine", according to an estimate by the French Pork and Pig Institute (Ifip).
The number of whole males slaughtered (45 million) has increased by 30% in five years, according to Ifip. Spain, which is the second largest producer in Europe, second only to Germany and ahead of France, accounts for half of this total (22 million). The country 'has never employed castration on a large scale', says Ifip. Castration is reserved for top-of-the-range products, such as 'pata negra' ham.
An immunocastration "surge"
In Germany, live castration has been banned since 1 January 2021. Until that date, the proportion of whole males had remained roughly the same since 2015, at around 15% of males, says Ifip. Where castration continues on German farms, it is carried out using specialised equipment subsidised by the public authorities which administers a general anaesthetic to the piglets.
Meanwhile, there is "a real push for vaccination" according the animal protection NGO Welfarm. Immunocastration, which is also practised in Brazil and Australia, removes the need for physical castration while preventing the meat from males from giving off an unappetising smell when cooked.
Nearly 30% of French male pigs are no longer castrated
The French industry is reluctant to go down the route of immunocastration, partly because it is concerned about consumer reactions to a procedure that blocks a pig's sexual development, but also because of the dangers it brings for farmers.
In France, castration is still the dominant practice. However, numbers have been going down since the early 2010s, driven by Cooperl, the leading French pig producer and processor.
