Source: Tom Johnston, MEATINGPLACE, 5/11/18



Smithfield Foods officials said they have launched a third-party investigation of a North Carolina sow farm that an animal activist group claims is not abiding by the company’s transition away from sow gestation stalls.

The group, Direct Action Everywhere (DxE), claims in a new report completed after what it says was an 8-month investigation at the facility that pregnant sows continue to be confined in “torturous” gestation stalls — despite Smithfield saying that it completed its 10-year transition to open sow housing at all of its sow farms worldwide at the end of 2017.

In a lengthy statement, Smithfield officials defended its practices, saying that DxE ignored the group housed barns on the farm that “they unlawfully broke into” in order to deliberately mislead viewers.

“Individual stalls are still used for breeding and farrowing,” explained Keira Lombardo, Smithfield’s senior vice president of corporate affairs. “These stalls provide a safer, less stressful space for sows during the breeding process. Once confirmed pregnant, sows live in groups until they are ready to give birth at about 16 weeks. Then, they are moved into individual farrowing stalls to give birth and nurse their piglets until weaned at about 24 days. These stalls are specifically designed to facilitate the birthing process, keep sows comfortable, and protect piglets.”

Lombardo further explained that, “The vast majority of our animals are market hogs, which are housed in groups their entire lives. Sows are mother pigs and their offspring become market hogs.”

Meanwhile, beyond attempting to dispel what it called misleading information, Smithfield went on the offensive with regard to DxE’s tactics.

Lombardo said the group claiming to be animal care advocates compromised the health and well-being of the pigs when they “trespassed onto farms, violated our strict biosecurity policy that prevents the spread of disease, and stole our animals. These individuals are not animal care experts, but activists who continuously risk the lives of the animals they claim to rescue.”

DxE, which supports “total animal liberation,” is reportedly facing felony theft charges in Utah in connection with a “rescue” of a sick turkey at a Norbest turkey farm.

The FBI also reportedly raided animal sanctuaries in search of two piglets that DxE said it rescued from a Smithfield farm in southwestern Utah.

For more stories, go to www.meatingplace.com.