The NPA has given its backing to Red Tractor’s proposals for two new tiered animal welfare standards.
Red Tractor’s six-week consultation on the proposed changes closed on Friday (June 6). They include the proposed introduction of an Enhanced Welfare standard, based on outdoor-bred or outdoor-reared pigs finished indoors, with more space and a solid, bedded lying area, and a Free Range for pigs with continuous outdoor access.
The consultation also proposes some adjustments to Red Tractor’s existing standards, which it said are required to ensure the equivalence with other assurance schemes.
Red Tractor is also considering a new ‘Certified Standards Plus’ tier for indoor production, with flexible farrowing as the key criteria.
Enhanced Welfare and Free Range
In its response, the NPA says it is supportive of the creation of these two new voluntary modules. These modules will give producers more choice of which assurance scheme they want to be a member of, and will give more information to consumers about how their pork is produced, it says.
But the response states that the NPA does not agree that the Enhanced Welfare module should include flexible or completely free farrowing, ‘as this would make the labelling less clear, and could impact any premiums which different production system might command’.
“We support the further investigation of a voluntary module for indoor welfare with flexible farrowing as it’s main selling point, although this is understandably delayed due to potentially imminent action from Defra ministers on this topic,” NPA senior policy adviser Katie Jarvis said.
“The proposals for Enhanced Welfare and Free Range standards largely echo RSPCA Assured standards, which should eliminate complication for anyone comparing the two. Where there is more guidance needed or where there is not justification for a proposed standard, we have responded accordingly.
“Overall the NPA feels that the proposed modules reflect production systems in common use today, and will provide producers with more options.”
“The standards included are easy to explain to retailers and consumers to justify a premium for a higher welfare product, without undermining the Core Standards module, which will likely remain the only module to which many producers subscribe.”
Core Standards
The NPA adds that the proposed changes to the core standards are, for the most part, minor changes which clarify previous standards and which are designed to deliver on pig welfare.
Some of the proposals are already standard practice for many, if not most, farms – for example, making attempts to control fly infestations or producing a farm map showing pen layout and sizes, it says. Others, such as recording injurious behaviour besides tail biting and cleansing and disinfecting sick pens between occupancies, are also clearly designed to improve health and welfare on farm.