PARIS — For centuries, male pigs have been castrated to make them less aggressive and to ensure quality control. But French farmers are facing a deadline to end a painful practice that few consumers are still willing to accept.
From January 2022, surgical castration will require anesthesia, a complicating factor for the procedure that will inevitably increase production costs.
Several countries in Europe have already outlawed, or historically avoided, surgical castration which lets producers maximize the size of a pig before slaughter.
Yet it remains standard for the vast majority of French pig farmers, with nearly 10 million piglets subject to castration each year.
They…
Keep on reading: Deadline looms for French pig farmers on castration choice