Farmers, butchers and pork

Sir, – As a pig-breeder, I would like to highlight a problem being caused by the butchers in this country. Butchers across the country are restricting the sale of meat from male pigs of various breeds, stipulating that they only provide white female pigs.

This is because they are worried about boar taint, even though taint only affects a small minority of pigs, with a few breeds being more susceptible. I have no idea as to the logic of preventing coloured pigs from being sold.

There are two kinds of taint, one which affects both sexes and can be prevented by keeping pigs outside to forage (roughage prevents the build-up of the taint-causing hormones in the guts) and the other produced in the testes, which can largely be prevented by slaughtering boars at an appropriate age and by taking measures through breed selection and genetics.

The views of these butchers, who are essentially holding pig breeders like me to ransom, mean that pig farmers are left with large numbers of boars to fatten and restricted places to slaughter and sell the meat. This is unsustainable in the long term and many pig farmers will simply have to quit. It is also preventing the keeping and breeding of traditional breeds, which are already vulnerable due to low numbers.

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I would urge your readers to discuss these matters with their butchers since there is a lot at stake. Furthermore, it should surely be encouraged to have delicious meat for sale at the butchers raised in more sustainable conditions in a traditional fashion.

Anyone who has tasted a pig raised outside with forage available can attest to its superior quality. – Yours, etc,

ELIZABETH FLEMING,

Macroom,

Co Cork.