Danish Crown will slaughter an additional 1.2 million male pigs. Keeping bears is good for both animal welfare and the sustainability of Danish pork production. A pilot project evaluates whether customers accept the larger amount of meat from male pigs.
Keeping a boar reduces CO2 emissions and is better for the welfare of the male pigs. Male pigs have a 0.2 more favorable feed efficiency than pigs. Converted to CO2 equivalents, this will work out about 3 to 4 percent lower. The boar project therefore also has a positive effect on the financial and sustainability performance of pig farms.
Danish Crown wants to increase the number of boars to be slaughtered per year from the current 450,000 to 1.65 million pigs. Danish Crown customers refused to buy bear meat for fear of boar taint. According to the Danish slaughterhouse, various customers are willing to accept boar meat, provided it is kept under control and with guarantees that it does not contain boar taint.
Danish Crown meat buyers are changing. They are prepared to accept meat from male pigs that meet age and weight requirements, are less than six months old, have a slaughtered weight not exceeding 87 kilograms and come from pig farms that are included in a monitoring program.
The larger number of boars will be slaughtered in the slaughterhouses in Horsens and Blans. “If customers are still negative, we can make corrections,” says Nicolaj Nørgaard, director of Danish Crown’s owner-oriented business.
More information: https://ejer.danishcrown.com/gris/nyheder/nyhedsarkiv/danish-crown-udvider-slagtningen-af-hangrise