Dear readers,

Some positive evolutions in the pig industry:

• In a recent statement , the World Farmers’ Organization (WFO), representing more than 1.2 billion farmers worldwide, opposes the adoption of lab-grown foods as an alternative to the food that results from farmers’ labor. Tradition, diversity, wealth, quality of farm food is undermined and replaced by homogeneous food.
• Ann Arbor Michigan based Swift Run Station will use $2,038,550 Rural Development investment from the USDA’s Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program to construct and equip a meat and poultry processing and retail facility. 
• Tyson Foods announced a partnership with the University of Arkansas that will expand the free educational programming the company provides to all its U.S.-based employees. The new partnership will offer six new programs that include degrees and certificates in general business, supply chain management and human resources management, in addition to other professional certifications.
• Oklahoma State University’s Robert M. Kerr Food and Agricultural Products Center hosted the inaugural Meat Mastery Program in collaboration with Osage Nation. Over the course of three years, 60 students will receive hands-on training in federally inspected meat processing facilities.
• A number of businesses, including 14 butcher’s, shops are among those who have joined a £2 billion legal claim aimed at getting compensation from UK energy giants, which are alleged to have paid secret commissions to third-party brokers, which were added onto the unit cost of gas and electricity, according to lawyers Harcus Parker.
• The analytical center „Sovekon” increased the forecast of wheat exports from Russia in 2023/24 MY by 1.5 million tons, to 47.2 million tons.

The forecast for the export of Russian corn in 2023/24 MY was also increased  to 4.5 million tons, and grain in general to 58.9 million tons.

• The safety and immunogenicity of replication-incompetent type-2 adenoviruses carrying African Swine Fever virus antigens has been evaluated in a study. A vaccine cocktail delivered by simultaneous intramuscular (IM) and intranasal (IN) administration robustly elicited both systemic and mucosal immune responses against AFSV in mice and swine and provided highly effective protection against the circulating ASFV strain in farmed pigs. Link to the study:

Events calendar:

• The National Pork Industry Conference Network with the more than 900 attendees the top 150 pork production systems in North America is having it’s yearly conference between 9-12 of July, in Wisconsin Dells
• The twenty-fourth Agroexpo Colombia takes place  from 13.07.2023 to Sun., 23.07.2023 in Bogota. More than 500 exhibitors will present their products on an exhibition area of more than 25,000 sqm divided into the following country pavilions: Brazil, Cuba, China, France, Italy, Spain and Poland.
• Agri Intex is an internationally recognized agricultural trade fair located at the Codissia Trade Fair Complex in Coimbatore, India. The 21st edition takes place from 14.07.2023 to 17.07.2023.

The heat is on

The pork market evolution is multifactorial, and one of the most important issues is the evolution of the Chinese pig industry.

China’s state planner  will start the second batch of pork reserve purchasing as the hog price has fallen into a warning zone. The National Development and Reform Commission said it will also closely monitor changes in hog prices and continue to strengthen control of hog production capacity and prices. The state’s intervention in the market is permanent and we do not have any independent data resource from the Chinese agribusiness for more than one year. Will this intervention be enough to turn pig business to profit, or companies will cease production, due to heavy losses?

Meanwhile, European markets are also redesigned, mostly due to  the uncompetitive pork prices for the Asian markets.  French market was quite resistant to pork imports in 2022, but year 2023 has started with a different trend.  Import volumes increased for Spanish pork of all kinds with +14%, from Germany +7.2%, consisting mainly from boneless cuts and loins, Denmark  delivered +22.8% and the Netherlands +16.1%. Cumulatively during January and February 2023, French imports of pork products amounted to 100,800 tons. 

Speaking about multifactorial evolution, we have to remind the “green” policies of some European countries.

Only 236 pig farmers have submitted an application file to the Flemish Land Agency for a support scheme for the cessation. Belgium has 13% less pigs slaughtered this year, the decreasing production and increasing prices changed the mood of the pig producers, now  they turned to positive attitude and  want to continue the activity.

In the neighboring  Netherlands a total of 580,593 pig units have been taken off the market with the Subsidy Scheme for Restructuring Pig Farms . 430 of the 502 applications were assessed positively, but, after that, 153 companies withdrew. The total available budget amounted to 450 million euros. Of this, a total of 273 million euros (63 %) was used and 177 million euros ultimately remained unused. Municipalities were entitled to a subsidy of 25,000 euros per participating pig farm for the costs of adjusting the zoning plan and revoking the environmental permit and 231 pig farming locations claimed the resources made available.

The German stock reduction was detailed in last week’s edition. While ASF is decimating the pigs in the east of Europe , the politics, the PRRS  and the long lasting negative results reduced the pig numbers in the west.

Last, but not least, meteorology is also affecting the pig industry. Weights are going down and consumption is going up. The heat is on!

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

COUNTRY	PIG(EUR)	TREND	PIGLET(EUR)	TREND	OBSERVATION
GERMANY	2,50 HW		93/25 kg
NETHERLANDS	2,24-2,54 HW		79/25 kg
BELGIUM	1,83 L		77/20 kg
DANEMARK	1,85 HW		93/25 kg
FRANCE	2,344 HW
ITALY	1,84 L- 115 kg, 2,16 L-160kg,DOC		135/30 kg
SPAIN	2,02-2,05 L		95-105/20kg
PORTUGAL	2,8 HW
AUSTRIA	2,37 HW		100 /25 kg
POLAND	1,9-2,19 L		91-136/20-30 kg		Partner info; no quotation
CROATIA	2,10-2,8 HW		110-123/ 25 kg		Partner info; no quotation
SERBIA	2,08-2,13 L		115-131/ 25 kg		Partner info; no quotation
CZECH R.	2,48 – 2,52 HW		82-88/ 25 kg		Partner info; no quotation
SLOVAKIA	1,98 -2,05 L		110-121/25 kg		Partner info; no quotation
HUNGARY	1,93 – 2,1 L		110-121/ 25 kg		Partner info; no quotation
ROMANIA	2 – 2,15 L		110-121/25kg		Partner info; no quotation