WelFarmers project presented at APCPR General Assembly in Romania

Mr. Ioan Ladoși, Vice-President of APCPR and leader of the WelFarmers Romania Regional Network, presented an update on the project “WelFarmers: The Future of Pig Welfare in Your Farms” during the General Assembly of the Association’s Members, held in Brașov on March 6, 2026.

During his presentation, Mr. Ladoși explained that the project is funded by the European Union through the Horizon Europe programme and is coordinated by the Portuguese Federation of Pig Breeders’ Associations. The initiative brings together associations and universities from eight EU countries, working collaboratively to address key topics related to pig welfare.

The main topics discussed within the project are: ban of cages - loose housing of lactating sows, rearing pigs with undocked tails, avoiding pain during castration, and space allowance and flooring types in pig housing systems. According to the project timeline, WelFarmers is currently in its second round, which runs from September 2025 to August 2026. This phase focuses on reviewing the challenges identified so far, defining new issues that require attention, and disseminating the results obtained within the project.

Mr. Ladoși also briefly presented the winners of the first WelFarmers round and highlighted the importance of farmers’ involvement in this initiative. He emphasized that many of the challenges addressed within the project are expected to become part of future EU regulations and will likely become mandatory. However, active participation from farmers can help ensure that the solutions developed and implemented are innovative, practical, and adapted to real farming conditions rather than driven solely by political considerations.