The inserted video gives a small insight into what activists who infiltrated the Agrosuper pig factory farm facility in Chile found when they got inside. There (reportedly) there are 500 000 pigs, although other ministerial statements when the story broke, lead me to suspect there may in fact be very many more.
The conditions are execrable and the cruelty unimaginable - although this is by no means the worst examples of human behaviour towards their hapless captives, soon to be converted into packaged meat. I will not attempt to describe here some of the things these base dregs of humanity do to the animals, but they are truly revolting and are to be deplored by any normal person capable of displaying feelings of empathy for their suffering and stress.
The story goes that locals in the vicinity of this plant complained for some time about the terrible smell, of which no notice was taken (of course) by government officials. But it was only when they took the law into their own hands and picketed, blocking access in and out of the plant, that the government got involved - then to find a catastrophe in the making. And of course, the plant owners were quick to blame the locals and activists for preventing them "caring for" the pigs, and protest that they were in the process of rectifying some faulty air filtration system components. Apparently some type of biological filtration system is used and it couldn't cope under the volume of pig manure. Hardly surprising (see "Drowning in shit" on this blog site). But nothing the activists can be blamed for - I'm just incredibly grateful that there are folk out there who are getting involved in highlighting the plight of these poor animals and assisting in rescues as far as possible.
And what of the pigs? Well, it's too much like hard work and expense to evacuate them all - apparently it will take around 5000 trucks to move them all (my thinking : probably more, since I think their numbers have been deliberately understated) - and there is no place to accommodate these numbers anywhere else in the country at short notice. Therefore they will all be summarily dispatched and the plant will be closed down.
It seems clear that the relevant Chilean government department agrees that the plant is not in a fit state to be used as a "factory farm" (I'm starting to hate that term), or otherwise they wouldn't have insisted in closing it down, would they?
By the way, the black things you see being swept up in the video are huge numbers of dead flies.
The tragedy is that this is not the only plant of its type - there are many worldwide, because the American model of factory farming is being extensively copied and replicated as a means of raising production more cost-effectively. And nor is it an isolated example of inhumane treatment of animals. To the contrary, this behaviour seems commonplace and appears to be the norm in the "industry", if one can use such a polite word for what these people do. Try and lay hands on a copy of Tim Pachirat's "Every Twelve Seconds : Industrialized Slaughter and the Politics of Sight" for more insight as to what goes on inside a slaughterhouse and the mindset of those who work there. Start here : http://foodwhistleblower.org/blog/23/322
And the industry mindset? Anything that speeds up the "processing" and which makes operating cheaper is to be welcomed. It's a mindset of dealing with the symptom instead of addressing the root cause. If a pig is stressed and overcrowded in disgusting conditions, it gets ill, develops sores and chews off the tails and ears of its neighbours. Male pigs become more aggressive as they mature and their meat is less palatable. The "cures" for these problems? Castrate male pigs at 3 days by chopping off the tails with a pair of shears (no anaesthetic), cut off the ears (no anaesthetic), and chop the teeth off (no anaesthetic). Then feed gallons of antibiotics (including enrofloxacin, which is one of the "last resort" antibiotics) to try and keep pathogens at bay, and there are plenty of these in an overstressed host of animals in close proximity to each other. Feed growth hormones to speed growth and reduce the fat content of the meat, so that it fetches higher prices. And turn a blind eye to what goes on on the factory floor, as long as the meat gets processed - after all, it's "only lunch", isn't it - why should we bother if it's stressed before it's dissected, packaged and labelled?
And I am supposed to eat that meat? Excuse me while I roll around, calm my heaving lungs and wipe the tears of mirth out of my eyes. Oh - you were being serious - I am supposed to buy and eat the product?
Get real. And don't get me started on cows. Or chickens. These people are all the same and their methods are just as inhumane.
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