Mercy For Animals pushes Yucatán to curb pig farm expansion

Mercy For Animals says the closure of a megafarm in Santa María Chí should be a precedent, not a one-off, as pig operations keep moving across Yucatán. The group is calling for a statewide census, penalties for irregular farms and permanent shutdowns of illegal facilities to reduce pollution, animal suffering and community harm.

Why it matters: - Mercy For Animals says Yucatán’s pig-farm model is still spreading even after the closure of the megafarm in Santa María Chí. - The group argues the shift matters because the environmental damage, animal suffering and community impacts do not end when production is moved to another town. - The organization is pressing state and federal authorities to stop the expansion of megafarms and tighten enforcement in a sector tied to exports.

What happened: - Mercy For Animals released a chronology of its work in Yucatán as the organization sought to show that the industry has not disappeared, only relocated. - Since 2023, the group has documented what it describes as systemic damage from pig megafarms across the peninsula. - The organization said the closure in Santa María Chí is an advance, but not a solution. - Local and national media have reported that the industry responded by moving thousands of pigs to other communities, including Kikteil and Molas. - Mercy For Animals said there is still no public confirmation that the animal transfer complied with the required legal protocols.

The details: - Mercy For Animals identified more than 800 possible pig farms using the same geospatial analysis methodology used by SEMARNAT. - The group said some of those facilities house as many as 100,000 pigs each. - Mercy For Animals said it used a drone flight over the Selva Maya to document farm installations and waste disposal. - The organization said millions of liters of contaminating waste are dumped into large open-air pits. - Mercy For Animals documented possible leaks from biodigesters that appear overloaded with waste. - The group said those leaks put aquifers and cenotes at risk, including five of the eight Ramsar-protected sites in the area. - The organization also reported conditions inside two farms, one supplying Kekén and another linked to Grupo Fogysa. - Mercy For Animals said it found overcrowding, poor cleaning and hygiene, untreated injuries, dead animals inside the facilities and breeding sows confined in gestation crates so small they could barely move. - The group said those conditions can cause stress and mental deterioration in the animals. - Mercy For Animals said the pig industry prioritizes export production over animal welfare and the rights of affected communities. - The organization is asking the Yucatán state government, PROFEPA and SADER to change the production model. - The group also directs readers to its campaign site, More information. - Contact information and social media links were included with the release.

Between the lines: - Mercy For Animals is trying to turn the Santa María Chí closure into a test case for broader enforcement. - The call for a statewide census suggests the group believes regulators do not have a complete or current map of the sector. - The focus on relocation points to a familiar pattern in environmental enforcement: closing one site can simply push the same harms elsewhere. - The group’s framing links animal welfare, public health and environmental protection as one policy problem, not separate ones.

What's next: - Mercy For Animals is pushing for an updated census of all pig farms operating in Yucatán. - The group wants sanctions on farms with irregularities and permanent closure of clandestine operations. - It is also demanding a halt to megafarm expansion and definitive shutdowns for facilities that violate environmental and animal welfare law. - The organization says authorities should act with full transparency on the fate of the 41,000 animals moved from Santa María Chí.