The head of the farmers’ chamber complains about turkey sales because of supposedly increased animal welfare standards, even though the level of self-sufficiency is at a record high – now VGT demo in front of the Council of Ministers
Vienna (OTS) – The 2022 compromise on fully slatted floors was clear: temporarily there should be an improved fully slatted floor for new buildings, but from 2028 there would have been a real ban on fully slatted floors with straw bedding, which will apply to all businesses from 2040. The Constitutional Court overturned the long transition period because animal protection was not taken into account. Rightly so. But now suddenly the ÖVP no longer wants to hear about a real ban on fully slatted floors, and Animal Welfare Minister Rauch’s straw solution is rejected. And the Perg Farmers’ Chamber district chairman Christian Lang explains that increasing animal welfare standards in turkey farming in Austria is endangering Austrian production (see OÖ Nachrichten). “The opposite is the case,” emphasizes VGT chairman DDr. Martin Balluch. “The latest figures from Statistics Austria (1) show a self-sufficiency level for turkey meat in Austria at a record level, which was last seen in 2003 (2), i.e. 2 years before the introduction of the Federal Animal Welfare Act. Incidentally, there has never been an increase in animal welfare standards for turkeys. This lie is now used to ensure that there is no ban on fully slatted floors for pigs. The ban on keeping laying hens in cages, the only real increase in animal welfare standards in livestock farming, is a great success story. While there were 26% cage egg imports before the ban (3), imports have now fallen to 6% (4). Today more laying hens are kept in Austria than ever before. Despite, or perhaps even because of, significantly increased animal welfare standards.”
In order to point out this lie by their officials to the ÖVP and to remind them of their promise in 2022 that there will be a real ban on fully slatted floors for pigs, the VGT is demonstrating today in front of the Council of Ministers at Ballhausplatz. “The ÖVP ignores pig suffering on a completely slatted floor” is written on one banner, and “ÖVP fraud” on another. In the next few weeks, a real ban on fully slatted floors with a littered lying area must be decided, which must be implemented by all companies by 2030, demands the VGT!
Pressefotos (Copyright: VGT.at)
(1) Austrian Statistics
(2) Statcube
(3) FiBL report, p. 22
(4) Austrian Statistics
Questions & Contact:
VGT – ASSOCIATION AGAINST ANIMAL FACTORIES
DDr. Martin Balluch
Campaign management
01 929 14 98
media@vgt.at
#ÖVP #steal #responsibility #piggy #column #lies
