German Pig Backlog May Cram 1.2 Million Extra Hogs on Farms
- Slaughterhouses are running more slowly due to the pandemic
- That’s keeping pigs on farms longer, risking animal welfare
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Germany warned that its farms could face a glut of more than 1 million pigs by year-end as coronavirus measures cause backlogs at slaughterhouses.
The nation’s abattoirs have been operating at reduced capacity for much of the year because of Covid-19 outbreaks and workplace precautions. That has slowed pig sales in Europe’s top pork producer, and the current surplus of about 400,000 slaughter-ready pigs could triple by the end of the year.