Pig transport stress costs pork sector

Poor trailer design and transportation stress are killing pigs and costing the pork industry millions of dollars in penalties, meat quality downgrades and failed welfare audits, according to research by a federal scientist.

Luigi Faucitano, a research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, says the pre-slaughter period — which includes the journey from farm to abattoir — currently has gaps in best practice.

There are a number of financial hits associated with those gaps, Faucitano said during a recent virtual event hosted by AAFC’s Sherbrooke Research and Development Centre in Quebec.

Truckers face penalties up to $4,000 when more than three or four pigs arrive dead at processing plants. Poor meat quality from stressed animals forces processors to sell depreciated pork, while carcass lesions linked to issues during transport can reduce value by up to six per cent.

There’s also the matter of public perception. Canada’s pork sector has spent considerable effort on their public trust and sustainability files.

A 2021 Quebec telephone survey found consumers were very reluctant to believe that the animals are well-transported, Faucitano noted.