Pig World
  • News
      • Animal Health
      • Breeding
      • Business
      • Environment
      • EU
      • Food Safety
      • Housing
      • Marketing
      • NPA
      • National Pig Awards
      • New Products
      • Nutrition
      • People
      • Pig Fair
      • Politics
      • Training & Education
      • Welfare
  • Features
    • Animal Health
    • Breeding
    • Environment
    • Farm Visits
    • Herd Recording
    • Housing
    • Marketing
    • Nutrition
    • Products
    • Training
  • Comment
    • AHDB Pork
    • Chris Fogden
    • Dennis Bridgeford
    • Peter Crichton
    • Red Robin
    • Veterinary View
    • Zoe Davies, NPA
  • Numbers
  • Pig Prices
  • Magazines
    • May 2025
    • April 2025
    • March 2025
    • 2025 Buildings supplement
    • February 2025
    • 2025 Nutrition Supplement
    • January 2025
    • December 2024
    • November 2024
    • National Pig Awards supplement
    • October 2024
    • September 2024
    • August 2024
    • 2024 Pig Health supplement
    • July 2024
    • June 2024
    • Innovation supplement 2024
    • Pig & Poultry Fair Guide 2024
    • May 2024
    • April 2024
    • Buildings Supplement
    • March 2024
    • Pig Nutrition (Beyond Zinc)
    • February 2024
    • January 2024
    • December 2023
    • November 2023
    • National Pig Awards Supplement 2023
    • October 2023
    • September 2023
    • Health Supplement
  • Suppliers
  • Jobs
    • Browse Jobs
    • Post a Job
    • Manage Jobs
  • Classified
  • Events
    • Pigs Tomorrow
    • National Pig Awards
Podcast
Pig WorldPig World
  • News
      • Animal Health
      • Breeding
      • Business
      • Environment
      • EU
      • Food Safety
      • Housing
      • Marketing
      • NPA
      • National Pig Awards
      • New Products
      • Nutrition
      • People
      • Pig Fair
      • Politics
      • Training & Education
      • Welfare
  • Features
    • Animal Health
    • Breeding
    • Environment
    • Farm Visits
    • Herd Recording
    • Housing
    • Marketing
    • Nutrition
    • Products
    • Training
  • Comment
    • AHDB Pork
    • Chris Fogden
    • Dennis Bridgeford
    • Peter Crichton
    • Red Robin
    • Veterinary View
    • Zoe Davies, NPA
  • Numbers
  • Pig Prices
  • Magazines
    1. May 2025
    2. April 2025
    3. March 2025
    4. 2025 Buildings supplement
    5. February 2025
    6. 2025 Nutrition Supplement
    7. January 2025
    8. December 2024
    9. November 2024
    10. National Pig Awards supplement
    11. October 2024
    12. September 2024
    13. August 2024
    14. 2024 Pig Health supplement
    15. July 2024
    16. June 2024
    17. Innovation supplement 2024
    18. Pig & Poultry Fair Guide 2024
    19. May 2024
    20. April 2024
    21. Buildings Supplement
    22. March 2024
    23. Pig Nutrition (Beyond Zinc)
    24. February 2024
    25. January 2024
    26. December 2023
    27. November 2023
    28. National Pig Awards Supplement 2023
    29. October 2023
    30. September 2023
    31. Health Supplement
    Featured

    May 2025 issue of Pig World now available

    May 1, 2025
    Recent

    May 2025 issue of Pig World now available

    May 1, 2025

    April 2025 issue of Pig World now available

    April 4, 2025

    March 2025 issue of Pig World now available

    March 6, 2025
  • Suppliers
  • Jobs
    • Browse Jobs
    • Post a Job
    • Manage Jobs
  • Classified
  • Events
    • Pigs Tomorrow
    • National Pig Awards
LinkedIn X (Twitter)
Pig World
News

Unrealistic to ban farrowing crates by 2027 – NPA

Alistair DriverBy Alistair DriverJuly 6, 20213 Mins Read
LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Email

It is not realistic to contemplate banning farrowing crates as soon as 2027 at EU or UK level, according to NPA chief executive Zoe Davies.

The European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) ‘End the Cage Age’ campaign is calling for cages to be banned from 2027. In its response to the initiative last week, the European Commission announced its intention to propose legislation by the end of 2023 to ban the use of cages in farming, including farrowing crates.

However, the Commission has not committed to a ban within six years. It will, however, ‘assess the feasibility of working towards the proposed legislation entering into force from 2027’. It has committed to adopting a species-by-species approach to the ban and has acknowledged the need for a reasonable transition period.

The Commission will aim to complete an impact assessment, covering the socio-economic and environmental implications of the measures and the benefits to animal welfare, using evidence gathered from an EFSA report, before the end of 2022, with a public consultation planned for early 2022.

It has also promised that farmers will be supported, financially and through the provision of training, to help them manage the transition and it is looking at various ways to address the threat posed to EU producers from cheaper imports produced using cages.

Meanwhile, Defra has said it is ‘examining the use of cages’, and is expected to make an announcement at some point.

‘Impossible timescale’

Dr Davies gave an interview for Monday’s Farming Today programme (approx 7 mins, 40 secs) to explain how the Commission announcement could affect the UK.

Asked about the push by NGOs for a ban within six years, she said: “In our view, 2027 is an impossible ask. We have been doing a lot of work within the industry and with Defra looking at what the transition would entail and purely from a practical point of view, we believe it will take 20-30 weeks per farm to transition.

“It is going to cause major disruption to pork supply and we have very few specialist building companies that could do the transition work.”

She said there was ‘huge concern’ out there among producers about the practical implications and the costs involved in making the change, and said the UK industry would be seeking similar support and protection arrangements to that pledged at EU level.

Dr Davies also outlined the potential problems with getting planning permission sorted in time. “The entire supply chain needs to work together to help producers do this, otherwise more will go out of business,” she said.

She highlighted how the industry was currently working on finding suitable alternatives to conventional farrowing crates to balance the need to give the sow more freedom, while also protecting piglets.

While there have been promising results on farms that have trialled temporary crating, which allow the sow to be confined for a few days after farrowing, piglet mortality has been too high with complete free farrowing pens, she explained.

The NPA has been working with Defra by feeding in practical information, which it is hoped will help inform their policy making, particularly around the practicalities of the transition needed on farm so that policy makers are aware of the complexity of the task and therefore set a sensible transition period.

Share. LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Email
Previous ArticleUS pig herd sees marginal growth
Next Article Pilgrim’s calls for Government support after NFUS accuses it of threatening the survival of Scottish pork sector
Alistair Driver

Editor Pig World, group editor Agronomist and Arable Farmer and Farm Contractor. National Pig Association webmaster. Former political editor at Farmers Guardian. Occasional media pundit. Brought up on a Leicestershire farm. Works from a shed in his Oxfordshire garden.

Read Similar Stories

APHA to use genomics to boost disease surveillance in £10m project

May 13, 2025

AHDB and Livetec join forces to stage ASF contingency planning workshops

May 12, 2025

Pig supplies suspended from Lincolnshire farm, after footage published

May 12, 2025
Latest News

APHA to use genomics to boost disease surveillance in £10m project

May 13, 2025

AHDB and Livetec join forces to stage ASF contingency planning workshops

May 12, 2025

Pig supplies suspended from Lincolnshire farm, after footage published

May 12, 2025
Sponsored Content

THE GATEKEEPER OF RESPIRATORY HEALTH – MYCOPLASMA HYOPNEUMONIAE (M.HYO)

April 30, 2024

Tackle the root cause of PWD with free diagnostic tests

March 1, 2024
Current Pig Industry jobs
  • Pig Stockperson – Ref 1737 Shropshire

    • Shropshire
    • Roadhogs Recruitment Ltd.
    • Full Time
  • Managing Director

    • Oxfordshire and North Yorkshire
    • United Pig Co-operative (UPC)
  • Experienced Pig Stockperson – Ref 1736 South East England

    • South East England
    • Roadhogs Recruitment Ltd.
    • Full Time
GETTING IN TOUCH
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Meet The Editors
  • About Us
  • Email Newsletters
  • Subscribe
  • Reuse permissions
OUR SOCIAL CHANNELS
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
PARTNER EVENTS
RELATED SITES
  • Farmers Weekly
  • Agronomist & Arable Farmer
  • Farm Contractor
  • National Pig Awards
  • Pigs Tomorrow
  • Poultry News
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookies Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
© 2024 MA Agriculture Ltd, a Mark Allen Group company

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.