Call for proposals on pig welfare in slaughterhouses

HaDEA has launched a call for proposals for EU action grants.

The objective of the call is to develop a system for the automated measuring of tail length and tail lesions of pigs at the slaughter line.

Tail docking is the practice of surgical removal of part of a pig’s tail, aiming at reducing the risk of tail biting. Tail biting is considered an abnormal behaviour of pigs related to suboptimal housing and/or management. The phasing out of routine tail docking presents high animal welfare benefits.

The call targets mainly pig slaughterhouses. In order to obtain both scientific and technical expertise, the activities for the implementation of this call shall be performed by a mixed of business operators and academic/research institutions working in the area of pig welfare. This includes pig meat producers, pig abattoirs, animal welfare research centres, abattoir equipment providers, IT and software developers.

Total budget: € 1 500 000

NB: The deadline has been extended. All interested parties are invited to send their applications by 15 February 2022, 17:00 (CET).

Learn more and apply on the eTendering portal.