“Pig Factories”
“Pig Factories”
“pig factories” is a development of the nineties, the US National Pork Council and related organizations spend millions of a dollars a year to popularise pork consumption. Each year, the Pork Council sponsors an official “American Pork Queen” to enlighten schools and community groups about the joys of modern pork production. Such is the extent of corporatisation of “pig factories” that the modern pig farmers pride themselves to be called “pork production engineers". For years now, animal breeders have been trying hard to develop fatter and fatter pigs. Genetic manipulations are now being tried to ‘improve’ the pig, to turn it into a more efficient piece of factory equipment.
Unlike the inhabitants of George Orwell’s Animal Farm, the pig factories are huge industrial complexes, with over 1,00,000 pigs crammed in the pigpens. And like the poultry farms, pigs are cramped in stalls in such a way that it leaves no room for any maneuver. The most popular Bacon Bin system of housing pigs, provides for 500 individual cages, each measuring not more than seven square meters of living space. Every pig spends his entire life cramped into a space less than one-third of the size of a twin bed. “pork engineers” feel that the Bacon Bin is advantageous as it ensures that pigs don’t burn any calories in ‘useless’ activities like walking and playing. And still worse, these pigs never get to see daylight.
The high intake of hormones and pesticides results in environmental contamination. Already, high pesticides residues in pig droppings have contaminated the ground water supplies in the Netherlands to such an alarming extent that public protests is forcing the government to look for alternatives. Since the pig droppings cannot be dumped into the sea, Holland had unsuccessfully tried to ship it to India. With the World Bank seal of approval and with huge subsidies available from the European Union, Holland is now banking upon the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to pave the way for unhindered export of pig droppings and dung to developing countries.
And yet, the Indian food industry, backed by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) which recently sponsored a study on food factory potential of India, is sure to lap up the ‘virtues’ of pig farming. After all, if the US and other countries of the OECD find it to be a profitable enterprise irrespective of the ethical, religious and environmental considerations, the Indian agri-business industry must faithfully follow. Considering the dubious role of agricultural scientists and planners in promoting the controversial bovine somatotropin (BST) hormonal drug for cattle, coastal aquaculture and floriculture at the cost of sustainable farming practices, it will not be surprising to find the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and APEDA preparing a research and development blueprint for putting pigs on the industrial map.
