Cargill Meat Solutions has denied media reports that the company is phasing out its use of sow gestation stalls.
The Associated Press recently suggested that was the case, based on a letter Cargill sent to the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), which has called on Cargill to follow Smithfield Foods’ lead in phasing out gestation crates.
Mark Klein, spokesman for the Wichita, KS-based company, says Cargill has been transitioning to group sow housing over the past four years, and has converted more than half of its production farms.
But Klein says the letter did not imply that gestation stalls were being phased out.
There was a lot to be positive about in the pork industry the last week of October. I realize it is difficult to be optimistic when you are still losing $25 to $30/head. I also realize that positive news at this point could be as dangerous as it is welcome. But facts are facts, and we must recognize them.
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As I begin this week's column, I"m reminded of two different "flip side" statements that may help characterize the topic at hand. The first is the old Archie Campbell schtick - "That's good - no that’s bad," which I have used before. The second reflects President Truman's frustration with economists' incessant use of the qualifier - "on the other hand" - to introduce the contrary opinion on a given topic. President Truman once demanded in his usual colorful language: "Will someone please find me a *!&%$*?>
