General Questions about Animal Welfare in the Miyagi Prefecture Assembly

In the Miyagi prefectural assembly held on September 12th 2017, Mr. Tsuneharu Sakai from Miyagi Kenmin no Koe, a member of the assembly, raised 3 general questions about animal welfare.
Mr. Sakai has also asked to the governor before about developing a system to find families for dogs and cats to adopt.
This time, he asked about transitioning the current systems that use battery cages for egg-laying hens and gestation crates for pigs to systems that take animal welfare into account more.
He also requested the prefecture tackle on animal welfare issues more, especially in terms of the current situation for the drinking facility in slaughterhouses and more humane transportation systems there.

In response, the prefecture indicated that there is a way to subsidize agriculture business called “agriculture cluster” by the government on a large scale. The system can be utilized to support animal welfare issues.

Pushing to transition to a system that takes animal welfare into account

Question 1:  Battery cages with a wire mesh and gestation crates for female breeding pigs have been banned and discontinued in the world while they are still the primary methods in Japan.
The animal welfare system, which cares about livestock’s comfort more, can be subsidized by the government.
As a prefecture, does Miyagi promote it or give advice on the system to farmers?

Question 2:  For our agriculture, should we not consider subsidizing implementation of production system that takes animal welfare into account?

Response by Head of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries department: We acknowledge the importance of animal welfare for livestock, namely, livestock management that cares for animals’ comfort, as animals would gain health by maximizing their ability in such environment. Hence, it would improve productivity and safety of produce. This is important from the promotion of agriculture’s standpoint, too.
The most important point in the Animal Welfare-oriented Livestock Management Standards set by Japan Livestock Technology Association is livestock being healthy by proper management including, observing and recording them daily, treating them with care, and providing good quality food and water.
The prefecture gives instructions about livestock management based on this concept.
With this in mind, if a producer asks about the subsidy, we confirm its requirements as well as the producer’s intent, and then, we give advice from all points of view, such as whether or not stable business operation maybe possible in a given situation.
Also, production system that cares about animal welfare can be subsidized by governments’ subsidies such as “agriculture cluster,” so we will support such efforts by utilizing them.

Proactive Support on animal welfare

Question 3:  Going forward, it is essential to take animal welfare into account for promotion of agriculture. We should proactively work on such issues in order for us to not get bad review. What’s the current status and policy in terms of promotion of pig and hog farming.

Response by Head of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries department: We give guidance to all farmers in the prefecture based on the Standards on Rearing Hygiene Management every year. This includes animal welfare such as discouraging raising livestock in crowded conditions.
Furthermore, animal welfare is one of the requirements for the produce, which will be provided at the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, so the importance of animal welfare is more recognized, in order to sustain and develop our agriculture.
The prefecture has been promoting animal welfare to contribute to improvement of productivity for safe produce. In doing so, we host workshops to pig and hog farmers, train advisors, so that we can be certified by GAP, which includes animal welfare in the process of agricultural production.

Improvements in Slaughterhouses

Question 4:  I believe there is room for improvement in Miyagi Prefecture Meat Trading Center, in which shower is used as drinking facility, and electric tools such as stun guns are used to chase pigs. What’s your thought about this?

Response by Head of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries department: Miyagi Prefecture Meat Trading Center is a hub to slaughter 70% of pigs in the prefecture. In 2007, the center acquired SQF certification, which is a globally recognized food safety and quality certification program.  The center has been making efforts to provide safe and high quality meat. The drinking facility you pointed out covers about 800 pigs out of 1,200 pigs.  It would cause injury or accidents if normal drinking facility were provided in an area where pigs in various sizes are accommodated. I understand it is inevitable for the staffto give water by hoses by carefully observing the pigs.
As for herding, panels are used in general. However, they use electric tools when pigs are not moving at all. So this is minimally used as necessary. The prefecture will make efforts to support operation that cares for animal welfare more, by asking the staff to consider implementing drinking facility when the facility gets renovated, for instance.

translation:Seika K