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Date Published: 13/12/2022

ARCHIVED - New laws will require Murcia pig farmers to cover slurry pits and reduce odour

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By 2025, all pig farms in the Murcia Region must have Integral Management Systems to protect the environment

<span style='color:#780948'>ARCHIVED</span> - New laws will require Murcia pig farmers to cover slurry pits and reduce odour

More than 1,350 intensive pig farms in the Region of Murcia will have to make big changes in the coming years to comply with the new requirements set by the European Union and Spain to improve hygiene, animal health and welfare, the environment and reduce climate change. The legislation focuses on reducing the amount of harmful gasses released into the atmosphere from these properties as well as the contamination of groundwater and soil.

Farmers will have until 2025 to bring their premises up to scratch.

One of the main elements is the management of slurry pits, where animal excrement is stored. These facilities have been shown to leak extensively in areas like Campo de Cartagena, often allowing toxic particles and organic compounds to seep into nearby water sources and the surrounding land. To counteract the problem, farmers will be required to waterproof their slurry pits to prevent leaks as well as covering them to reduce emissions.

As a longer-term project, animal feed will have to be altered to avoid excessive discharges of ammonia into the air, a factor which will certainly please local homeowners, who are often tormented by the stench from these farms.

More generally, farmers will have to implement several improvements to their equipment and hygiene condition before 2025 but from this year, they will also be required to provide extensive training for their staff in areas such as disease identification and prevention, sanitary techniques and environmental requirements.

Each farm will have a mandatory Integral Management System for Pig Farms prepared by their vet which will include environmental management plans, biosecurity, noise, dirt and odour control, production and management of manure and animal welfare.

The general director of Livestock, Francisco Espejo, is confident that the “Region of Murcia and is prepared to face the changes”. However, he does point out that many smaller farmers may struggle to adapt, especially given the considerable financial expense that will be required to make the necessary alterations.

The Region of Murcia is the fifth largest producer of pigs in Spain, with farms raising around 2.5 million animals each year.

Image: Pixabay

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