The National Farmers Union wants the pork industry to shun the so-called Enviropig. The genetically modified porcine is designed to reduce feed costs and excrete less phosphorus. But it is no substitute for better farm management, NFU Region 3 co-ordinator Sean McGivern said.
The NFU is part of a coalition of social and environmental groups who argue that the real cause of surface and groundwater pollution is the concentration of hog-confinement facilities and the number of animals in them, not the pigs.
Besides, McGivern said manure is a key source of fertilizer for farmers. “If they can’t get it from manure, they’ll have to get it from big fertilzer companies that are going to charge a high price. If good farm management is practised, phosphorus will be considered an asset, not a liability,” McGivern said.
