Page 164 of articles about pork

Exports of quality Iberian ham increased during 2009 by a little over 10% and the product was commercialized in 90 countries in five continents, this was equivalent to 200,000 Iberian hams being exported from Spain last year.

In 2009 5.597.000 pigs, 620.000 cattle, 80.200 calves, 290.000 sheep and lambs, 41.300 goats and kids and 978 horses, foals and other equidae were slaughtered.

Stocks of frozen and chilled red meat in cold storage totalled 83. 963 metric tonnes in April, down 11% from April 2009. Compared with January 2010, stocks of frozen and chilled red meat in cold storage were up 3%.

In 2009, 2,948,219 Iberian pigs were commercialized in Spain, of which 65% corresponded to Iberian finisher pigs, 20% to Iberian bellota pigs, and 9% to Iberian pure bellota pigs.

Recently, a new pork trade certificate with Russia has been negotiated. This certificate sets guidelines for U.S. packers that are exporting pork to Russia. The Russian Product Verification Program is a program to verify compliance with the Russian tetracycline standard.

Conditions of distribution of the pork import tariff quota have been changed in Belarus in 2010. The relevant decision is laid down by Council of Ministers resolution No 615, representatives of the Council of Ministers Office.

According to USDA’s annual Meat Animals Production, Disposition, and Income report released this week, 2009 gross income from cattle and calves, hogs and pigs, and sheep and lambs for the U.S. totaled $59.0 billion, down 10 percent from 2008. Total 2009 cash receipts from marketings of meat animals decreased 10 percent to $58.6 billion.

In the 1st quarter 2010, 130 881 tonnes of meat were produced, i.e. by 3.6 % less than in the same period of the previous year. A decrease of production was shown in beef (by 7.4 %), pig meat (by 4.7 %), and poultry (by 0.1 % only).

The government is encouraging the importation of up to 5,000 metric tons (MT) of pork up to the end of June under a tax subsidy scheme to cover a shortage in supply due to storms and diseases that hit last year and the current dry spell.

The latest figures offered by the Spanish Ministry of Environment and Rural and Marine Affairs show that in 2009 Spanish pig meat exports increased by 1.2% reaching a total of 1.25 million tonnes.

Organic Farming Department will be established at the Plant Growing Directorate of MAF.