Brussels, Belgium: About millions of animals die every year on livestock farms in Flanders before they even reach the slaughterhouse. MP Meyrem Almaci (Groen) blames intensive livestock farming as well as argues that the system is “completely out of control”.
Groen (the Flemish greens) estimates that over 3 million animals die annually in Flemish livestock farms before they are sent to the slaughterhouse.
Along with this, the party calculates that 550,000 pigs, 110,000 cattle as well as 35,000 sheep and goats were collected in the previous year. There were 55,000 loads of dead poultry, with one load containing 50 to 200 kilograms. With an average weight of at least 2 kilograms per chicken, Groen’s calculation comes to 2.7 million birds.
As per the Member of the Flemish Parliament, Meyrem Almaci, the mortality rate among the animals is high, including 6 percent for chickens and 17 percent for piglets.
Almaci mentioned in the statement, “The situation has become so critical that ridiculous mortality rates before slaughter are considered normal. That goes against the idea that livestock should be raised in humane conditions.”
Moreover, Almaci added to the statement that the high mortality rate also costs a lot of money, such as €7.4 million spent each year collecting the carcasses.
The figures show that “industrial livestock farming is not sustainable”, as well as Groen calls on the regional administration to reform the current agricultural model.
Furthermore, “It is high time that the Jambon government tackled these abuses and ensured an improvement in the welfare of all animals in Flanders”, Almaci said.
