Dear readers,

let’s see some positive developments related to our industry:

• The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) that reaffirms livestock’s critical role in healthy diets and sustainable food systems and will make significant contributions to global understanding of the benefits of meat production and consumption.
• The FAO report („Contribution of terrestrial animal source food to healthy diets for improved nutrition and health outcomes”) concludes that, within appropriate dietary patterns, meat and other food produced from land-based animals can make vital contributions to meeting the UN Sustainable Development Goals’ nutrition targets, including to reduce stunting, wasting and overweight among children; improve birth weight; reduce anemia in women of reproductive age; and reduce obesity and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in adults.
• While our industry is under the attack of the “greens” , Maersk has invested in Danish technology company Kvasir Technologies, which has developed a method of producing carbon-neutral biofuels from non-edible biowaste materials. I’m wondering, is something similar going on also in the construction industry? Because they are on the top of the list of the polluting industries…
• Two of Germany’s largest livestock commercialization cooperatives, Raiffeisen Viehvermarktung and Viehzentrale Südwest, are merging from 1-st of January 2024. The power is in the big numbers and in the union.
• China and France reached several deals in April. 15 French sausage producers and slaughterhouses received export permits. Also, a regionalization agreement on African swine fever (ASF) was finally concluded.  
• Bid prices for milling and feed wheat in the ports of Great Odesa declined to 180-190 and 170-180 USD/t CPT-port respectively, in the Danube ports – to 185-200 and 180-190 USD/t CPT-port respectively.

Events calendar:

• Hurry up! Grillfest Romania is still running 1-st of May, in  Constanta, Romania.
• The largest agricultural and livestock fair of Hungary is organized between 4-6 of May in Hódmezővásárhely.  See you there!

Smoke on the water

            Obviously, we were still looking for the German carcass reference price increase, even the whole industry knows that currently this is more a basis, all German slaughterhouses are paying bonuses to get enough pigs.

In the meantime, market sources form Spain are claiming that the next period will be characterized by 4 working days in the slaughterhouses, due to the reduced availability of the pigs. PRRS is hitting hard wile zinc oxide elimination, antibiotic reduction are also affecting the pig numbers . And summer is coming, weights will also decrease!

Russian authorities are recommending to the farmers to switch from “western” veterinary pharmaceutical products to national ones. Will we see a similar success, like the Chinese ASF vaccine? Just remember, that the Chinese experimental ASF vaccines where responsible for the even larger spreading of the disease.

ASF is reaching Greece again, in a commercial farm and is still reoccurring in Romania. There were some expectations from the Romanian veterinary authority to substantially change the legislation on the backyard pigs and farms, but politics and votes are more important and the new legislation is hardly scratching the subject. This makes Romania the only EU country completely banned from the sale of pig meat to the other member states. As the country is a net importer, it doesn’t seem of any importance, but market data shows the reality. Overall, the local pig price is one of the lowest in the EU, because all pork elements that are unpopular for the local consumer have to be transformed to trimmings, causing a decrease of the overall value of a pig carcass.

Are there solutions for this issue? A friend embarked on a mission to provide some options. Eugen Capră is running the “Industria Cărnii” (Meat Industry) and Euromeatnews media products and the “Carnexpo” exhibitions, the only ones dedicated to the meat industry in Romania. Eugen is trying to change the consumer behavior in Romania, to help the local meat companies to add value to the less popular meat cuts. 20 chefs, 70 tones of meat are on the Black Sea beach of Constanta and the sun is shining. This is the first edition of  “Grillfest” Come, see, taste, enjoy! In the first two days the event gathered over 40.000 visitors and the meat companies are already looking forward for the next event.

There is fire under the grill and smoke on the water.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rfirxs_NUcE

European pig and piglet prices: HW= Hot weight; L= live weight;

COUNTRY	PIG(EUR)	TREND	PIGLET(EUR)	TREND	OBSERVATION
GERMANY	2,33 HW		84,5/25 kg
NETHERLANDS	2,13-2,35 HW		75,50/25 kg
BELGIUM	1,7 L		74/20 kg
DANEMARK	1,85 HW		90/25 kg
FRANCE	2,24HW
ITALY	1,9 L- 115 kg, 2,22 L- 160 kg, DOC		137/30 kg
SPAIN	2,02-2,05 L		101-111/20kg
PORTUGAL	2,8 HW
AUSTRIA	2,29 HW		97,5 /25 kg
POLAND	1,94-2,28 L		96 -144/20-30 kg		Partner info; no quotation
CROATIA	2-2,50 HW		100-110/ 25 kg		Partner info; no quotation
SERBIA	2,2 L		99-113,5/ 25 kg		Partner info; no quotation
CZECH R.	2,27-2,33 HW		75-81,5/ 25 kg		Partner info; no quotation
SLOVAKIA	1,9-1,95 L		105-110/25 kg		Partner info; no quotation
HUNGARY	1,88-2,04 L		105-111/ 25 kg		Partner info; no quotation
ROMANIA	1,86 -1,99 L		105-111/25kg		Partner info; no quotation