Thank you for contacting me on Farrowing Crates.
The Conservative party and government is firmly committed to maintaining the UK’s world-leading track record on animal welfare and delivering improvements as appropriate.
The UK already has a significant outdoor pig sector with 40% of the national sow breeding herd farrowing freely on outdoor units with no option for confinement.
The government continues to work with the farming industry to maintain and enhance our high standards of animal welfare. The Animal Health and Welfare Pathway, part of our domestic agricultural policy, supports farmers to produce healthier, higher welfare animals. We do want our farming sectors to continue to be viable and competitive. There are several economic challenges currently being faced by the pig sector, not least costs of feed and energy, which is why the government has made the decision that the time is not right to consult on phasing out farrowing crates.
