The animal rights people are doing it to you again. I’m betting you are unaware. Have you ever heard of open pens for hogs?
Responding to pressure from “animal rights” groups, major pork buyers like McDonald’s have announced their suppliers have to stop using gestation crates, and build new barns with open-pens for the pigs. The cost of building new barns, more labor, more training for workers, and veterinary costs will get passed on to you, the consumer.
Smithfield, a big pork producer with sales of $13 billion, expects the cost of switching to open pens will cost $300 million. Plus, they claim it cuts production. The buildings can’t hold as many sows. Smaller pork producers who can’t afford the conversion will be forced out of business. This will reduce supply further.
Gestation crates measure 2 feet by 7 feet to house a sow weighing 400 to 600 pounds. One reason this became common practice is sows in group pens tend to fight leading to injuries. They create competition for food.
Here’s a comparison. Niman Ranch, Inc. has never used gestation bins. Their pork chops and ham sell for $9.99 a pound while prevailing prices are $5.89 for chops and $6.29 for Hormel ham.
Isn’t it funny how mysterious people you never hear about can bring higher prices to your dinner table. Pressure gets put in the right places and it works. Completely under the radar things are put in motion that will result in less competition in the pork business, and costs escalate with less supply, and suddenly your pork purchases are up 80-90% and you never knew what created the increase. Nor did you have an option to give your position on the issue.
More humane treatment of sows seems fair. But, if it doesn’t really work, the costs remain and the results don’t change. It’s hard to fathom how this country works at times.
