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
    • August 2025
    • 2025 Maximising Pig Health supplement
    • July 2025
    • June 2025
    • 2025 Innovation supplement
    • May 2025
    • April 2025
    • March 2025
    • 2025 Buildings supplement
    • February 2025
    • 2025 Nutrition Supplement
    • January 2025
    • December 2024
    • November 2024
    • 2025 National Pig Awards supplement
    • October 2024
    • September 2024
    • August 2024
    • 2024 Pig Health supplement
    • July 2024
    • June 2024
    • 2024 Innovation supplement
    • 2024 Pig & Poultry Fair Guide
    • May 2024
    • April 2024
    • 2024 Buildings Supplement
    • March 2024
    • 2024 Pig Nutrition supplement
    • February 2024
    • January 2024
    • December 2023
    • November 2023
    • 2023 National Pig Awards supplement
    • 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. August 2025
    2. 2025 Maximising Pig Health supplement
    3. July 2025
    4. June 2025
    5. 2025 Innovation supplement
    6. May 2025
    7. April 2025
    8. March 2025
    9. 2025 Buildings supplement
    10. February 2025
    11. 2025 Nutrition Supplement
    12. January 2025
    13. December 2024
    14. November 2024
    15. 2025 National Pig Awards supplement
    16. October 2024
    17. September 2024
    18. August 2024
    19. 2024 Pig Health supplement
    20. July 2024
    21. June 2024
    22. 2024 Innovation supplement
    23. 2024 Pig & Poultry Fair Guide
    24. May 2024
    25. April 2024
    26. 2024 Buildings Supplement
    27. March 2024
    28. 2024 Pig Nutrition supplement
    29. February 2024
    30. January 2024
    31. December 2023
    32. November 2023
    33. 2023 National Pig Awards supplement
    34. October 2023
    35. September 2023
    36. Health Supplement
    Featured

    August 2025 issue of Pig World now available

    August 1, 2025
    Recent

    August 2025 issue of Pig World now available

    August 1, 2025

    2025 Maximising Pig Health supplement now available

    August 1, 2025

    July 2025 issue of Pig World now available

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

Improvac could be Europe’s high-welfare castration solution

Graeme KirkBy Graeme KirkApril 1, 20163 Mins Read
LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Email

Pig producers in the UK are in danger of losing their high-welfare reputation as the rest of Europe moves to end surgical castration, according to Zoetis. The firm expects the take up of its boar taint vaccine to accelerate as the benefits become better understood, and judging by the experience of pig producers, retailers and consumers in Belgium, there’s no downside.

Addressing a group of UK pig sector representatives on a recent visit to that country, Zoetis’ Ben Lacey said that while the production of entires in the UK had improved the welfare of pigs, and had arguably resulted in a price premium, it had also had a detrimental effect on meat quality. With several EU countries now aiming at phasing out surgical castration in the next couple of years, the UK would lose the welfare advantage, and as Continental producers would be unwilling to risk their export markets by compromising meat quality, Improvac was becoming their most likely solution.


It wouldn’t happen here: the meat cabinet shown above at a Belgian Colruyt supermarket runs a video explaining where its pigmeat comes from and how it’s produced


This would be a problem for UK farmers, Mr Lacey added, because there were other welfare benefits from using Improvac. It reduced aggressive and sexual behaviour at the late finishing stage – reducing lameness and injuries, and associated mortality – and also reduced the number of gilt pregnancies where mixed-sex finishing was practiced.

Compared to surgical castration, using Improvac offered pig producers the opportunity to improve welfare, improve eating quality and improve profitability too, as the pigs grew more quickly in the final four-to-six weeks of finishing, after receiving the second of their two vaccination shots.

Retail acceptance
Belgium’s largest supermarket chain, Colruyt, switched to sourcing pork solely from Improvac-treated herds in 2010, just a year after the vaccine was approved for use in the EU. The firm wanted its producers to move away from conventional surgical castration, but carried out tests – that included blind tastings in stores – on the alternative. Meat was trialled from entires, from pigs castrated using painkillers, pigs castrated using CO2 anaesthesia and pigs vaccinated with Improvac – with the Zoetis treatment winning through.

In its press release announcing the move, Colruyt wasn’t only able to say it had ended castration, but could claim lower mortality and lower antimicrobial use by its producers, and more tender and juicier meat too.

It’s a position Zoetis would like to reach with the UK’s major retailers too, although as yet there’s too much resistance (except when it comes to imports, where it’s suspected they take a don’t ask/don’t tell approach).  Nevertheless, the animal health company has a clear goal in mind: “That Improvac can be prescribed by vets and used by farmers where the need exists with no restriction on use by retailers or assurance schemes”.

With UK pork consumption falling, you’d think a boost to demand through improved meat quality would be more widely welcomed, but so far there’s been little appetite for change. Other than, that is, among niche producers focusing on meat quality and better welfare.

In fact, there were approximately 20,000 boars treated with Improvac in the UK in 2015, but unless you happened to buy some meat from one of the producers taking advantage of this technology – or chanced upon some treated Belgian pork – you’re unlikely to have enjoyed the benefits!

See COMMENT: How about making Improvac a point of differentiation?

Share. LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Email
Previous ArticlePeter Crichton’s commentary for April 1, 2016
Next Article Consumers keep cutting meal preparation times
Graeme Kirk

Read Similar Stories

Cranswick apologises ‘unreservedly’ after ‘unacceptable’ footage emerges from Lincolnshire farm

August 18, 2025

Cranswick announces veterinary review of animal welfare policies

May 20, 2025

Pig supplies suspended from Lincolnshire farm, after footage published

May 12, 2025
Latest News

AHDB reports that English red meat sector contributed £5.5bn to UK economy in 2023

August 28, 2025

Morgan sisters’ Iron Will challenge

August 28, 2025

Government details how upcoming SPS agreement with the EU will benefit industry and consumers

August 28, 2025
Sponsored Content

Enhancing Weaned Pig Health and Performance with Zinc and Iron

August 1, 2025

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

April 30, 2024
Current Pig Industry jobs
  • Pig Stockperson – Ref 1752 Somerset

    • Somerset
    • Roadhogs Recruitment Ltd.
    • Full Time
  • Experienced Pig Stockperson – Ref 1757 South East England

    • South East England
    • Roadhogs Recruitment Ltd.
    • Full Time
  • Pig Stockperson – Ref 1759 North Yorkshire

    • North Yorkshire
    • 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
  • Weekly Tribune
  • 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.