Dear readers,

While there are good signs for the price increase, let’s see some other good news related to our industry:

• Brazilian poultry and pork exporters are expecting a revenue of around $260 million after participating in SIAL China. Contracts during the event reached over $48.4 million, showing promising results.
• Acuity and Fast Genetics , two swine genetics companies wholly owned by STgenetics, are pleased to officially announce their joint brand, AcuFast. STgenetics entered the swine genetics business by purchasing Fast Genetics in 2015 from HyLife, a Canadian-based pork producer and processor. STgenetics recently expanded its pork business by purchasing Acuity in 2022 from Maschhoffs, a large, family-owned, US-based pork producer.
• USDA announced the intention to purchase $50.1 million of U.S. pork for food banks and school programs.
• Ohio-based SugarCreek Packing Co. announced its acquisition of Italy’s F.lli Veroni Fu Angelo S.p.A., the largest exporter of cured and cooked meat products to the U.S., in a news release. At the same time, Veroni, based in Correggio, Italy, announced its acquisition of the associated  company, Carnigest S.r.l, specializing in salami production.
• African swine fever virus (ASFV) poses a great threat to the global pig industry and food security. Currently, 24 ASFV genotypes have been reported but it is unclear whether recombination of different genotype viruses occurs in nature. In this study, the authors detect three recombinants of genotype I and II ASFVs in pigs in China. These recombinants are genetically similar and classified as genotype I according to their B646L gene, yet 10 discrete fragments accounting for over 56% of their genomes are derived from genotype II virus. Animal studies with one of the recombinant viruses indicate high lethality and transmissibility in pigs, and deletion of the virulence-related genes MGF_505/360 and EP402R derived from virulent genotype II virus highly attenuates its virulence. The live attenuated vaccine derived from genotype II ASFV is not protective against challenge of the recombinant virus. These naturally occurring recombinants of genotype I and II ASFVs have the potential to pose a challenge to the global pig industry. Link to the study:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37248233/

Events calendar:

• With close to 700 vendor booths, the pork industry’s newest and most innovative products will be on display for three days  at World Pork Expo, Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, Iowa, June 7-9.
• Green Week of Galicia is held between 8-11 of June, at International Fair Silleda, Spain.

Thunderstruck

            Sometimes many good news come from the U.S. Well, is not all like that…

Producers currently are having to sell their pigs to processors below production cost. The losses, according to Iowa State University estimates, average almost $28 on a live equivalent basis per head each month since November 2022.

Neighboring Canada is also not doing to well: Olymel is cutting about 80 jobs as it reduces hog production in Western Canada due to ongoing financial losses and market uncertainty. Olymel’s western sow herd will decrease from 57,000 to 40,000 sows in production.

With recently announced closure of 37 Smithfield sow farms in Missouri, will we see a major reduction of the North-American pig herd? Now the pig exports are booming from this continent, but it is also due to a weak dollar and the packers making money on the back of the farmers. What will happen, if the fall of the sow numbers is consistent?

Last Wednesday almost all market experts estimated a new price increase on the German pig market. It didn’t happen. My opinion: Vion had to close a slaughterhouse in the Netherlands, on Tuesday, due to a suspicion of African Swine Fever. The suspicion has not been confirmed, but the initial news affected the market. Vion also had to increase it’s purchase price with 3 cents, in order to regain trust from the pig suppliers. Today information is spreading fast and can struck you like thunder!

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

COUNTRY	PIG(EUR)	TREND	PIGLET(EUR)	TREND	OBSERVATION
GERMANY	2,38 HW		88/25 kg
NETHERLANDS	2,16-2,42 HW		78/25 kg
BELGIUM	1,76 L		75/20 kg
DANEMARK	1,85 HW		93/25 kg
FRANCE	2,155 HW
ITALY	1,75 L- 115 kg, 2,07 L- 160 kg, DOC		137/30 kg
SPAIN	2,02-2,05 L		95-105/20kg
PORTUGAL	2,8 HW
AUSTRIA	2,34 HW		100 /25 kg
POLAND	1,79-2,15 L		95 -136/20-30 kg		Partner info; no quotation
CROATIA	2,10-2,55 HW		105-118/ 25 kg		Partner info; no quotation
SERBIA	2,4 L		115-128/ 25 kg		Partner info; no quotation
CZECH R.	2,32 – 2,36 HW		77-83/ 25 kg		Partner info; no quotation
SLOVAKIA	1,95 -2,1 L		105-116/25 kg		Partner info; no quotation
HUNGARY	2,06 – 2,20 L		105-115/ 25 kg		Partner info; no quotation
ROMANIA	2,08 – 2,31 L		105-115/25kg		Partner info; no quotation