Dear pig keepers: Enough is enough! In view of massively increased feed and energy costs as well as of piglet and fattener prices which still are not costcovering, many farmers find themselves in an existence-endangering situation. Yet, they need to cope with even more adversity.

The evil is named “Animal-Welfare Technical Control Board”, or as it is called at the authorities: “Second Draft Amendment of the Animal Welfare Law”. Behind it, the implementation hides of a compulsory test and admission procedure for serially manufactured housing equipment and management systems. As for the industry, this is completely redundant, because as another national solo-run it just has our farmers still more affected with regard to competitiveness after they need to come to terms with the national pig keeping decree by now which already exceeds EU laws. As a matter of fact, this was clearly uttered by the Deutsche Bauernverband (German farmers’ association) and the ISN Interessengemeinschaft der Schweinehalter Deutschlands on the occasion of a hearing before the Bundestag’s agricultural committee held in Berlin on June 4th.

Detlef Breuer, ISN CEO, said this “Animal-Welfare Technical Control Board” was “slowing innovations, increasing officialdom and driving costs”. But, regardless of all justifiable criti-cism and contrary to all its promises to not exceed EU laws, it looks as if the German Federal Government intends to push through this draft law, and at best before going on summer recess.

The bad thing about it is that here expert knowledge falls victim to political argy-bargy; to tell the truth this is one of the last coalitionagreement issues still to be discussed about. The fact is: All costs connected with the test procedures will finally be attached to the German livestock keepers. This alone is enough of a reason to not just accept the intended “Animal-Welfare Technical Control Board”. However, the law still needs to achieve accreditation by both Bundestag and Bundesrat.
So go pedalling on those members of the Bundestag who represent your electoral ward! It remains to be seen whether or not that will be a successful thing to do. But in any case it’s worth the try!

This comment is published in the dlz agro magazin ("Primus" pig) edition July 2008

Photo: Uwe Braeunig, dlz agro-magazine editor