54 research outputs found
Comparison of the Competitiveness for Danish, Dutch, and German Piglet Producers under Consideration of Country-Specific Methods of Piglet Castration with Anesthesia
No full textPig producers in Europe adopt different production methods for male pig fattening. More than half of the animals are surgically castrated. The different interpretations of animal welfare in different countries lead to market differentiation and economically different production conditions, which do not restrict trade, but economically lead to drastic competitive changes for local producers. While the Netherlands has already implemented surgical castration for the export market, using CO2 narcosis (NL), Denmark and Germany are each introducing their strategies with local anesthesia (DK) and isoflurane anesthesia (DE), respectively. Using typical pig farms from the agri benchmark Pig Network, the additional costs and economic impacts of animal welfare regulations are calculated. In Germany, isoflurane anesthesia increases costs by EUR 28.54 to EUR 49.86 per sow, or EUR 1.93 to EUR 3.81 per male piglet. This corresponds to a cost increase of around 5% per piglet. In Denmark, the costs of local anesthesia with procaine increase more moderately by EUR 3.55 to EUR 5.05 per sow, or around EUR 0.30 per male piglet. The cost increase here is less than 1% per piglet. The additional costs are leading to a loss of competitiveness for Denmark and Germany compared to the Netherlands. However, Germany is also losing profit significantly compared to Denmark. This study highlights that animal welfare regulations can negatively impact the competitiveness of the pig sector. It emphasizes the need for countries to implement such regulations carefully, ensuring that they do not lead to the loss of production or international competitiveness. A balanced approach that supports both animal welfare and economic sustainability is essential
Wirtschaftlichkeit der Alternativen zur betäubungslo-sen Ferkelkastration – Aktualisierung und Erweite-rung der betriebswirtschaftlichen Berechnungen
No full textThe ban of piglet castration without anaesthesia should come into force on 01.01.2019. On 29 November 2019, the German Bundestag extended this deadline by two years because politicians and industry were unable to agree on one or more of the available alternatives. The change in the law means that pig-farms in Germany will have to change their present practices. The strategies discussed are fattening of entire males, vaccination against boar taint (so-called immunocastration), castration using various anaesthetic methods and local anaesthesia. Building on Working Paper 64 (Verhaagh & Deblitz, 2016), the aim of this study is to provide an updated analysis of the economic effects of these alternative methods and to compare their eco-nomic viability. The first step is to specify a reference situation (baseline) with the current practice of castrating male piglets without anaesthesia. Data from 11 typical pig farms in the most important regions of Germany with different numbers of animals and production methods (specialised piglet production or pig finishing, closed system) were used. Then the alternatives of the current practice and their effects on the performance data as well as the costs and revenues are defined. The baseline and the alternatives are evaluated in a total cost analysis because, in addition to direct costs, investments and overheads are also affected. Variation calculations for prices, performance data and application methods complete the analysis. The costs of boar finishing with vaccination (immunocastration) are compensated by the higher performance of the animals and a better feed conversion. Boar fattening – i.e. the abandonment of castration measures – is less profitable due to reduced payments by the German slaughter industry (boar price mask). There are also regional differences between the two methods. The effects of the surgical measure are more homogeneous between the farm types and regions in Germany: among the two measures of general anaesthesia, injection anaesthesia is the most expensive, followed by inhalation anaesthesia with isoflurane. Local anaesthesia, also known as the "fourth way" (anaesthesia of the testicles during castration), has significantly lower costs. An important reason for the higher costs of anaesthesia procedures is the fact that based on the present legislation they may only be performed by veterinarians. Variation calculations show that the costs for all measures decrease under the assumption that the farmers are allowed to carry them out themselves. A corresponding implementing regulation for isoflurane anaesthesia is in preparation
Betriebsplanung mit linearer Programmierung - Könnte parzellenspezifische Fruchtfolgemodellierung die Akzeptanz in der Praxis verbessern?
No full textEconomic Impacts of Alternatives to Piglet Castration without Anesthesia
No full textPiglet castration without anaesthesia has long been a common practice in pig farming to avoid boar taint in meat and to produce a homogeneous carcass. Due to the growing societal awareness of animal welfare, this practice has been strongly criticized in many European countries, and agricultural policy measures have been initiated to establish alternatives in modern pork production.
In Germany, the ban on castration without anaesthesia has been postponed several times. On November 29, 2019, the German Bundestag extended the deadline for the amendment to the Animal Welfare Act to come into effect by two years, as neither agriculture nor politics had succeeded in finding a consensus on the available alternatives and implementing them resolutely. The legislative amendment means a change in the production process for pig farms.
Several approaches are available to the industry to improve animal welfare during piglet castration. These methods aim to either ensure effective pain relief during castration or completely avoid the procedure. The various methods differ significantly in their effects on animal welfare, practicality, and especially economic viability. To make an informed decision on which procedure should be implemented on a farm, a thorough consideration of these factors is essential. A detailed analysis of the economic aspects of entire male finishing, vaccination against boar taint (immunocastration), castration under various general anaesthesia methods, and the use of local anaesthesia was carried out.
Inhalation anaesthesia involves anaesthetizing male piglets with isoflurane gas before the castration procedure is performed. Inhalation anaesthesia is considered one of the most researched and established methods to meet animal welfare requirements for pain relief during castration. It causes less stress for the piglets compared to castration without anaesthesia. However, the process is time-consuming, as only a few piglets can be anaesthetized simultaneously. In addition, the purchase and maintenance of the anaesthesia equipment are associated with comparatively high costs. Depending on the farm, castration costs between 1.90 and 3.02 euros per male piglet more, depending on whether the farmer administers the anaesthesia themselves or has it performed by a veterinarian. In the latter case, the additional costs can be as high as 6.00 euros.
Injection anaesthesia achieves general anaesthesia through the administration of ketamine/azaperone. This method is less time-consuming than inhalation anaesthesia, and no special equipment or investments are required. However, the dosage of the drugs requires greater precision, and the procedure is reserved exclusively for veterinarians in Germany, which increases the complexity of the method. In addition, piglets experience a significantly longer recovery or post-sleep phase, which can lead to higher piglet losses in the process. Therefore, the additional costs range between 5.04 and 6.70 euros per male piglet.
Local anaesthesia is not a permissible method for piglet castration in Germany. The anaesthetic is injected directly into the area of the testicles. The injection increases the stress level of the piglets. Approval has failed due to insufficient pain relief. From an economic perspective, local anaesthesia is a much faster and less complicated procedure than the alternatives involving general anaesthesia and results in lower additional costs for anaesthetics and implementation, ranging between 0.98 and 1.57 euros per male piglet.
Animal welfare laws in the European Union fall under the jurisdiction of individual member states. Each EU country enacts and implements its own national animal welfare regulations, which must comply with overarching EU guidelines. The EU provides a framework within which member states operate. Thus, national laws can be stricter than EU regulations but must not fall below them. Germany has one of the strictest animal welfare laws within the EU and has enshrined animal welfare as a state goal in the constitution. The implementation of EU directives into national law can lead to differences between member states, as seen in the definition of "effective pain relief" in piglet castration. However, trade law in the European internal market remains unaffected.
There are established trade flows for piglets within the European Union, primarily between Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands. Each country adopts its own strategy for implementing animal welfare laws concerning the cessation of castration without anaesthesia, leading to competitive distortions in trade. The Netherlands implemented a ban on castration without anaesthesia in 2009, following the Noordwijk Declaration, and established CO₂ anaesthesia for castration of male piglets exported to Germany. Driven by the agricultural policy debate on castration in Germany, Denmark adopted an industry agreement allowing local anaesthesia for piglet castration and prescribing its use in practice. Danish farmers can perform local anaesthesia themselves after completing a special training course.
For German farmers who want to continue producing castrates, only isoflurane anaesthesia remains as an option after the amendment to the Animal Welfare Act, in order not to fall behind internationally. Both Denmark and Germany are losing competitiveness in the long-term profitability of pig farms compared to Dutch farms, which introduced alternative castration methods earlier and have lower production costs.
The complete ban of surgical castration has a positive effect on animal welfare, as piglets remain intact, and strengthens the competitiveness of farmers from an economic perspective. Entire male finishing requires adjusted management but offers advantages such as improved feed conversion. No castration costs arise, reducing the workload for piglet producers. Boars have a shorter finishing period and better feed conversion, potentially generating a positive impact of up to 2.49 euros per 100 kg slaughter weight on long-term profitability. However, the risk of boar taint in the meat, which can affect market acceptance, must be considered. Specific settlement systems for boars at slaughterhouses can further negatively impact the profitability, as boar taint risks are priced in, preventing farmers from fully capitalizing on the higher productivity of the animals.
Vaccination against boar taint offers farmers an animal welfare-friendly solution, where a two-time vaccination temporarily suppresses testicular function, preventing the development of boar taint. The major advantages are the avoidance of surgical castration, improved feed conversion, and higher growth rates in vaccinated male animals. The additional vaccination costs are offset by better feed conversion, allowing farms to produce more economically in the long term, with a potential benefit of up to 2.88 euros per 100 kg slaughter weight. This assumes that vaccinated boars are processed according to the standard payment system at German slaughterhouses. The lack of experience with carcass and cut composition in vaccinated boars does not yet allow a final assessment of pricing at slaughterhouses for farms and requires further analyses of the economic impact.2024-12-1
Thünen-Institut für Betriebswirtschaft und Erzeugerring Westfalen wollen gemeinsam Diskussionen versachlichen
No full textInternationale Wettbewerbsfähigkeit der Schweineproduktion im Kontext von Tierwohlaspekten
No full textDieses Projekt untersucht die produktionstechnischen und wirtschaftlichen Auswirkungen des Verbots der betäubungslosen Ferkelkastration in Deutschland. Zunächst wurden die Kosten und der Nutzen verschiedener Alternativen zur betäubungslosen Kastration untersucht (Ebermast, Immunokastration, Inhalationsnarkose, Injektionsnarkose, Lokalanästhesie). Hierfür wurden Daten von typischen Betrieben mit Schweinehaltung aus dem agri benchmark Pig Netzwerk verwendet. In einem weiteren Schritt konnte im Vergleich zu Dänemark und den Niederlanden konnte gezeigt werden, dass die unterschiedliche Gesetzgebung zur Kastration in diesen Ländern zu Wettbewerbsnachteilen für die deutschen Schweinehalter führt
Parzellenspezifische operative Betriebsplanung mit linearer Programmierung: Weiterentwicklung und Praxistest
No full textA day in the life of NeSI’s Apps support
No full textThe frontend of the NeSI services is often the NeSI support team. We give some insights of what
we do, how we proceed, and what we need from you. Furthermore, NeSI’s team is using some
tools incl. ReFrame and XALT to monitor application functionality, performance and usage thus
we can prevent issues and focus on the relevant applications. ABOUT THE AUTHOR(S)Mandes Schönherr, HPC Application Support SpecialistAnthony Shaw, Application Support Analyst</div
Arme Schweine : Wirtschaftlichkeit der Alternativen betäubungsloser Ferkelkastration
No full textNach wie vor sind auf den landwirtschaftlichen Betrieben Entscheidungen offen, welche der Alternativen zur betäubungslosen Ferkelkastration umgesetzt werden. Aktuell ist sogar ein verbot der Immunokastration für die Ökoschweinhaltung in der Diskussion, was aus Sicht des Tierschutzes und der Wirtschaftlichkeit nicht sinnvoll ist
Sind die Alternativen profitabel? : Ökonomische Analyse der Produktion von Immunkastraten und Jungebern in Deutschland
No full textIm Rahmen des von der Europäischen Union und der Bundesanstalt für Ernährung und Landwirtschaft geförderten Projekts „SuSi – Sustainability in pork production with immunocastration“ wurde in Kooperation mit dem Netzwerk „agri benchmark“ untersucht, inwieweit die Produktion von Immunkastraten und Jungebern unter den deutschen Marktbedingungen profitabel ist
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