Toespraak bij de opening van het Congres PIGCAS, Noordwijk (engelstalig)

Toespraak | 07-12-2007

Thank you Mr/Madam Chairman for the opportunity to open this two-day conference on pig castration.

I would like to welcome you all to Noordwijk, on the North Sea. Our decision to pick a venue on the North Sea, with its high annual levels of rainfall, was, you might say, based on strategic reasons. Because when I see your packed agenda, you would have had little opportunity to enjoy the sunshine anyway.

Ladies and gentlemen, Castration of animals is practiced all over Europe, not just here in the Netherlands. And it usually began with their domestication.

It was done mainly to prevent animals from producing offspring, but also to make them more manageable. Although pigs do become more manageable after castration, the main reason for this procedure is to prevent what is known as boar taint. Boar taint is a distinct and unpleasant odour, that can be present in pork and products thereof and is released during cooking. I heared that you will get the opportunity to experience this for yourselves today. But let me assure you, the meat presented at the lunches and dinners is absolutely free of boar taint.

In former days there were people whose job it was to castrate animals. Farmers whose piglets had to be castrated made this known by putting a rake by the side of the road so the castrator would know he was needed. Nowadays pig producers castrate their animals themselves, but anaesthetics are rarely used. In some countries pig castration is rare; there are countries where the market demands explicitly that pork be obtained from non-castrated pigs. In other countries consumers want pork from castrated pigs only.

In the Netherlands pigs are castrated without anaesthetic, although the organic sector introduced the use of the anaesthetic Lidocaine in July this year. There is great demand for Dutch pork and pigs. More than half of Dutch pork and over 4 million pigs are exported annually, mainly to countries that only accept castrated pigs or meat from castrated animals. As a result, pig castration cannot be stopped overnight. Nonetheless, the Netherlands will aim to put an end to this procedure by no later than 2015. Not through a ban, but through market forces.

The Netherlands is not the only country that wants to put an end to this practice. I am pleased to hear that several countries wants to stop pig castration or make it less painful.

The call for change in this country is not only due to public concerns about animal welfare, but Dutch pig farmers are also keen to see an end to this practice, as they consider it a very unpleasant business. The average pig breeder in the Netherlands with two hundred and fifty sows has to castrate close to sixty piglets a week, which is a matter of some concern. Pig farmers also indicate that boars produce leaner and better quality meat, have a better feed conversion ratio and produce less manure. A ban on castration would therefore not only improve animal welfare, it would also be beneficial to the environment and economy.

Substantial pressure from a Dutch animal protection organisation, called ‘Wakker Dier’ has resulted in many Dutch processors and sellers of pork refusing to purchase meat from animals that have been castrated without anaesthetics, or even in some cases from non-castrated animals. The process is evidently moving very quickly.

I think that by 2009 most Dutch pork will be obtained from animals that have been castrated under anaesthetic. This afternoon an agreement will be signed by organisations representing the pork chain, from farmers to supermarkets. This move symbolises efforts to put an end to castration, but as no concrete solutions have been found yet, the issue in the meantime is resolved by castrating pigs under anaesthetics.

I think this is an important development not only from the perspective of animal welfare, but also the way in which this step has been implemented by the market, rather than the government.

Nonetheless, we in the Netherlands believe that castration under anaesthetic offers only a partial solution. Farmers are still required to castrate the piglets themselves, and the animal’s integrity continues to be affected.

A small portion of the market appears to have found a way of preventing pig castration by producing pigs of a lower weight. However, the majority continue to be dependent on heavier pigs and demand castrated pigs.

The aim to stop pig castration as of 2015 cannot therefore be realised without help, and my Ministry will therefore provide this assistance. As Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food quality I am also responsible for promoting animal welfare policy, the central theme of which is safeguarding animal integrity. This involves ensuring there are as few surgical interventions as possible, unless surgery cannot be prevented.

This is also true for castration. Keeping non-castrated pigs may require a different management approach, but I am sure that pig farmers are able to meet this challenge. A much greater challenge is to continue to provide the guarantee that the meat is free of boar taint, and to ensure that key markets are prepared to accept this meat.

It is therefore not only the exporting countries that face problems, domestic markets will also require pork that is free of boar taint. One way of providing this guarantee is by slaughtering pigs earlier, although this is not the only solution, and neither is it the most desirable option. Over the next couple of days various other methods and techniques will be assessed, included castration under anaesthetic, sperm sexing, immuno-neutralisation, detection on the slaughterline and breeding.

I do not think there is one concrete solution to this problem. The issue will be addressed primarily by a combination of techniques, and I believe the market itself will determine the appropriate methods and techniques for putting an end to castration.

It is important that this discussion takes place on a European level. Our understanding of what boar-taint free meat is must not be subject to debate. There should be a single definition that is acceptable to the market.

Within Europe a great deal of research is conducted into how boar taint develops and how it can be prevented. This conference is essential for ensuring everyone is aware of all the latest developments. There are many other parties in attendance at this conference besides researchers. I trust that you will take this opportunity to think about a collective approach to stopping castration.

The European castration workshop held earlier this year leads me to believe that we do have a common agenda in this respect. After the workshop the Dutch media reported that a solution was still far from sight, but I do not agree with this assessment.

If we are to collectively make a change, it is important that we share each other’s vision. Dialogue is therefore key. In my view, that workshop marked the first step in the dialogue. This dialogue will be further developed over the next two days, and I am convinced it will be continue to develop over the coming years.

The fact that a dialogue has been established suggests to me that the will is there, and there is a light at the end of the tunnel, even if the tunnel is a very long one. As a marathon runner, I am not one to shy away from a challenge. If the will is there, the finishing line is never far away.

I hope you have a rewarding conference.

Thank you for your attention.