Page 498 of articles about news in Swine news

With tight stocks and strong demand for both maize and soyabeans, the US spring planting has been deemed “the fight for acres” as both prices have needed to be attractive for both crops to receive planted areas to replenish stock levels in the 2011/12 season. However, prices have been much more supportive of the maize market over recent weeks and today’s report suggests that US farmers are to plant more maize for harvest 2011 much at the expense of soyabeans.

Pork production forecast is virtually unchanged despite a downward revision in the slaughter forecast. Production continues to be hindered by higher than expected prices generated a downward revision (1.3 percent) in consumption. Similarly robust prices are also expected to depress imports which are revised lower to the 2010 level.

Abnormal lesions on fifteen pigs' feet were found on the truck by routine inspection before they entered into the auction market of Tainan City. The local animal disease control competent authority traced back to the farm of origin to carry out the clinical investigation. The result showed that 15 pigs on farm had the same clinical lesions. Thirty pigs, the 15 pigs on the truck and the 15 pigs on the index farm, were destroyed on 21 March 2011.

According to USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), China is once again accepting live hogs exported from the United States. China had suspended those imports two years ago, when H1N1 influenza virus was sickening people, along with pork products.

Total closing inventories are forecast to expand to 2.4 million head in CY 2011 as improved feed grain supplies and strong meat prices allow the Australian pig herd to expand.

China vows to strengthen its regulation of food quality to eliminate concerns over food safety and to adopt a system to assess the efficiency of the quality supervision and inspections undertaken by local governments.

The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) has reported a new outbreaks of foot and mouth disease (FMD) in China on 29 March.

The World Farmers’ Organization was born on March 29, bringing together farmers from across the globe.

On 19 March 2011, Bulgaria reported a new outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in beef cattle grazing in the municipality of Sredets, situated in the region of Burgas, west of the municipality of Malko Tarnovo where the last outbreak was reported on 31 January 2011.

2010 was a record year for exportation of the PDO product, "Prosciutto di Parma". With an increase of 9,5%, 2.256.000 hams were exported to over 80 different countries. Foreign markets currently represent 24% of Parma ham production.

The three new sources have been diagnosed after detecting clinical symptoms compatible with the disease in cows. The diagnostic was confirmed later by the National Reference Laboratory. After the confirmation, fallowing was initiated on the affected farms and the animals were slaughtered and buried. The total number of animals affected was 339 cows and 11 pigs.

China's Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) said on Monday that the government would launch a one-year crackdown on illegal additives in pig feed which have proven to be toxic to humans.

Meat from the offspring of cloned animals could find its way onto the EU market, with no-one being any the wiser, after member state representatives refused the Parliament's demand to label clone-derived products. The two sides met until late Monday night to discuss updating novel food rules, but were unable to reach agreement on clone-derived food and nanotechnology.

The tendency towards a higher concentration of slaughterhouses in Germany has continued throughout 2010. The 10 largest German slaughterhouses had, in 2010, a 75,1% market share which represents an increase of 16,1% over the last 7 years. The 4 largest slaughterhouses have 60,1% of the market compared to the 48,4% they had 7 years ago.

Declaring that the nation’s worst foot-and-mouth outbreak was over, the government announced a new measure to tighten its oversight of the livestock industry, requiring farmers to apply for permits to operate cattle and pig farms starting next year.

The organization of French co-ops, "Coop de France" proposed, last week, to the French Minister of Agriculture, Bruno Le Maire, a series of measures with the objective of minimizing the volatility of prices in the livestock sector.