Page 570 of articles about news in Swine news

Switzerland – Painless castration of piglets

12-May-2009
The work group formed by representatives of the different implicated sectors (swine producers, retail distributors, the rendering industry, veterinarians) have agreed on an initial financing of 15 million swiss francs to begin in an efficient manner the castration of piglets by inhalation narcosis. (Original in French. Read Google translation here).

Spreading antibiotics in the soil affects microbial ecosystems

11-May-2009
In a presentation to the Society for General Microbiology meeting at Harrogate International Centre March 30, Dr Heike Schmitt from the University of Utrecht, the Netherlands described how antibiotics passed from the animals in manure that was then spread on farmland. Although higher organisms, such as earthworms, would only be affected at unrealistic concentrations of antibiotics, changes in soil bacterial communities have been found repeatedly using molecular microbiological techniques.

China - Pork reserve plan launched in China’s major pig producing province

11-May-2009
The Sichuan Provincial Bureau of Commerce will build a reserve of pork meat to help stabilize prices following a slump in demand caused by the so-called ‘swine flu’. Wholesale prices have dropped to around CNY 10/kg (USD 1.46/kg). The bureau will accumulate a minimum of seven days supply calculated at 100g per person per day for the urban population of the province. Hunan has followed suit.

FAO - Regional plan for FMD control approved

11-May-2009
International experts on Foot-and-Mouth disease (FMD) have agreed on a plan to control the infection in Western Eurasia and stop it spreading west to Europe and North Africa, following a serious epidemic in several Middle Eastern countries.

China's feed output rises year on year

11-May-2009
The output of China's feed industry in 2008 reached 137 million tonnes, an increase of 8.51 percent year-on-year. Among them, compound feed achieved 105.90 million tonnes, up 13.64 percent year-on-year; concentrated feed made 25.31 million tonnes, an increase of 1.58 percent year-on-year; additive premix feed contributed 5.46 million tonnes, an increase of 4.79 percent year-on-year. In 2008, China exported 6 million tonnes of feed and the total value was $3 billion; imported 2.5 million tonnes and worth $2 billion.

United Kingdom - Compulsory 'Place of Farming' labelling

11-May-2009
In the latest draft of its Agricultural Product Quality paper, the agriculture directorate says all European Union agricultural products should carry a compulsory “place of farming” label. More detail about the plan will be published on 27 May — but if the proposal becomes compulsory it will put an end to consumers being misled by the legal practice of labelling bacon and ham made from imported pigmeat as “British”.

Canada - 500 hogs killed

11-May-2009
Officials in Alberta culled 500 hogs on the pig farm where the new swine flu virus was detected, but it was not because the animals were sick, the province’s chief veterinarian said Saturday.

EU - Viable rules on the welfare of animals at the time of slaughter

11-May-2009
Every year in the European Union, 360 million pigs, cattle, sheep and goats are killed, as are over 4 billion poultry birds and 25 million animals reared for fur. In a consultation report drafted by Janusz Wojciechowski (UEN, PL), the European Parliament approved a European Commission proposal seeking to replace the 1993 directive on the protection of animals at the time of slaughter by a new regulation to improve animal welfare while allowing more uniform application of EU rules in Member States. Amendments adopted are chiefly intended to clarify the rules so they can be more easily applied and protect animals effectively, to prevent red tape and to ensure that imports comply with EU standards.

FAO - New guidelines for livestock emergencies

08-May-2009
Specifically, the Livestock Emergency Guidelines and Standards (LEGS) initiative includes a set of international guidelines, decision support tools and standards for the design, implementation and assessment of livestock interventions on behalf of populations in need of emergency relief.

Russia - Imported meat to go away

08-May-2009
Pursuant to results of 2009, red meat and poultry manufacturing increase at Russian production facilities may total to about 15-20%, the experts of INFOLine Research and Information Agency report.