A call on the Government to follow the example of the Marks and Spencer chain and impose a ban on tethering sows or placing them in stalls when pregnant was made yesterday.
It came from Compassion in World Farming, Ireland, which had welcomed the Marks and Spencer announcement that it would not use pork produced under such circumstances from January 1st.
The British government is imposing a ban from the same date, but the EU will allow the practice to remain in place until January 1st, 2006.
"The M and S decision is a great incentive for more farmers in the Republic of Ireland to move to indoor group housing so they can supply M and S with humanely produced Irish pigmeat," said the CIWF's director in Ireland, Ms Mary-Anne Bartlett.
"It is admirable that the UK has banned both stalls and tethering for pregnant breeding sows, and we would call on the Irish Government to raise pig welfare standards to the same level by putting in place a similar ban."
The chairman of the IFA National Pig Producers Committee said last night that Marks and Spencer had not traditionally been a strong supporter of the Irish pig producers. He said he found it hard to refrain from thinking this was a move by the company to find a way to avoid doing business with Irish producers who are now building stall and tether-free units in line with EU recommendations.