Ban on ritual slaughter cost farmers €1.2 million, says union
The farmers’ union Boerenbond has complained that Flanders’ new ban on slaughter without stunning the animal, hence making the ritual Muslim Eid sacrifice impossible, has hit Flanders’ sheep farmers hard
20,000 unsold sheep
The ban affected trade during the Muslim Feast of the Sacrifice, Eid al-Adha, in late September. Only officially licensed slaughterhouses could slaughter animals according to Eid ritual, which involves cutting their throats while they are conscious. Stunning involves first administering an electrical shock, which renders them unconscious.
Because official slaughterhouses cannot cope with demand during Eid, temporary facilities are usually used, but the ban put an end to them this year. In an effort to avoid illegal slaughter, the Muslim Council of Theologians issued an opinion stating that the obligation to slaughter an animal could this year be lifted, in view of the special circumstances and in the hope of reaching a solution by next year’s feast.
Boerenbond has now announced that about 20,000 sheep went unsold during Eid, and Flanders’ sheep farmers lost sales worth €1.5 million. Small-scale farmers lost an average of €6,000, middle-sized farms some €15,000 and large companies lost up to €68,000 on average, the union said.
A sheep sold during normal market conditions raises an average price of €140, Boerenbond calculated. During Eid, the same animal can raise €200 to €225.
The organisation said that Flemish minister for animal welfare, Ben Weyts, did not ensure sufficient official slaughtering capacity to cope with demand before passing the ban. It also blamed the Council of Theologians for not declaring slaughter using stunning to be halal, as their counterparts have done in Ireland, Denmark and Switzerland.
