New York State legislators have declined to
write and pass legislation banning sow gestation crates.
The National Pork Producers Council and the New
York Pork Producers on Monday praised the politicians for allowing hog farmers
to choose how to house their sows.
But the writing is on the wall as many
retailers have announced they want their pork to come only from farms that do
not use sow gestation stalls; most have given producers and packers a few years
to meet their standards which were pushed on them by the Humane Society of
United States.
Canada is moving to evolve out of sow stalls as
part of its recently-adopted animal care protocol.
Major pork producers including Smithfield
Foods, Hormel Foods, Cargill and in Canada Olymel are shifting away from using
gestation stalls under pressure from the Humane Society of the United States
and public opinion about their use.
The pens are approved, however, by the American
Veterinary Medical Association and the American Association of Swine Veterinarians.
Installing new housing systems is expensive and requires different management approaches to ensure sows don't bully each other into injuries or starvation.
The NPPC has stood firmly behind this animal
husbandry practice, saying the stalls allow for personalized animal care and
eliminate pregnancy aggression from other sows.
“New York hog farmers are pleased the
legislature realized there are far more critical issues to consider than
attacking small family farms in rural New York,” said Ed Keller, president of
the New York Pork Producers, in a news release issued by the NPPC.
