Page 565 of articles about news in Swine news

Limited cross-reactivity of serum samples from pigs infected U.S swine influenza viruses or vaccinated with commercial vaccines was demonstrated against the new S/O H1N1 influenza virus (A/CA/04/2009) as measured by the standard HI test. The results of this experiment suggest that pre-existing immunity induced by swine influenza viruses circulating in the U.S may not protect pigs against the new S/O H1N1 influenza virus presently circulating in people. Importantly, vaccines currently used to protect pigs in U.S swine operations against swine influenza virus may not be effective against the new S/O H1N1 influenza virus.

Another round of herd liquidation and permanent closure of some hog operations is expected over the next 90 to 120 days due to ongoing losses.

Meat processing has emerged as the most integral segment of the food processing industry of Poland. Meat and meat products have continued to account for more than 20% of the overall revenue of the food processing industry.

The Regulation will introduce an authorisation scheme for substances used for active and intelligent functions in food contact materials, in particular food packaging. It will require the safety evaluation of such substances by the European Food Safety Authority. A single market will be created for the use of active and intelligent packaging by laying down criteria which ensure their safety while allowing for a competitive position of this new type of packaging. Active food contact materials and articles are intended to extend the shelf-life or to maintain or improve the condition of packaged food. They incorporate components that would release substances into food or absorb substances from food.

Some analysts have predicted that the U.S. pork industry could lose up to $400 million in the next few months, given lower market prices; others estimate that from 25% to 33% of U.S. hog producers may be adversely effected.

According to provisional data, in 2008 the production of bovine and poultry meat increased and the production of pig meat and sheep and goat meat decreased. With the intention to more accurately estimate pig slaughter outside slaughterhouses, we have supplemented some estimates in the pig meat production calculation with the data from the annual sample survey KME-DEC. We noticed decrease in total indigenous meat production (by about 7%), meat from slaughterhouses (by about 5%) and GIP (by almost 2%). In the balance of the bovine animals in last year, we noticed increase in import and export of live animals (by about 52% and 35%, respectively)

Within the framework of the General Assembly of the OIE in Paris, Colombia has been declared to be a country that is completely free of this disease with vaccination, and so Colombia will have the chance to extend exports to other commercial fields. The Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development, Andrés Fernández Acosta, declared that this certification is a reward for the great effort made by the government for more than 59 years. Foot and mouth disease first appeared in Colombia in 1950, proceeding from Venezuela.

The main purpose of this project therefore is to develop the first Organic Sensory Information System (OSIS), a multilingual and centrally based data folder for data deposition along with an interface scheme that serves as a basis for data exchange to the benefit of the organic food market (organic associations, producer, processors, retailer, wholesaler as well as consumers).

The Food & Drug Administration announced May 27 the initiation of a grant program to support the development of new animal drugs intended for minor species or minor uses in major species. Major species are horses, dogs, cats, cattle, pigs, turkeys and chickens.

The plans, which would see farmers receive up to 70 per cent of their payment from October, were announced by EU agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel on Monday, May 25. The scheme would allow for all farmers in the EU benefiting from the SPS and the SAPS to receive up to 70 per cent of their final payment from October 16.

Farmers have been ordered to wear earmuffs when feeding pigs - to protect them from 'dangerous' squealing. A Health and Safety Executive leaflet advises farmers that pigs' squealing could cause just as much damage to hearing as a chainsaw or power drill.

This report provides an overview of production costs and margins of farms specialised in pig fattening. The analysis is based on the latest Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) data available (2006).

According to reports from Mexico’s Ministry for Agriculture (SAGARPA), the consumption of pig meat is recovering from the noticeable drop a few weeks ago after the appearance of cases of the new flu A in humans in the country. The figures offered by SAGARPA show that since last weekend the levels of slaughter in the 33 Federal Inspection Type (TIF) slaughterhouses, specializing in pigs, have reached 80% of the level that they had before the outbreak of the new flu A. According to the Secretary for Agriculture, Alberto Cárdenas Jiménez, by the end of the month the number of pigs slaughtered in TIF slaughterhouses and in the 38 large sized municipal slaughterhouses is expected to reach over 470 thousand. (Original in Spanish. Read Google translation here).

Action is needed to improve communication about the qualities of agricultural products — to help reconnect farmers with consumers. Quality labelling schemes must also be easier for people to use and understand and EU policy must be more coherent. These are the main recommendations of a European Commission Communication on agricultural product quality policy.

Federal Agency for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Supervision of the Russian Federation (Rosselkhoznadzor) is imposing temporary restrictions on supply of non heat treated pork and pork products from some Prefectures of Japan, as it was published on the Agency’s website.

It is looking almost certain Brussels will drop plans to extend IPPC to more pig farms.