Dear readers,

As usually in this period, the price of market hogs in the East of Europe is increasing regardless to the German reference quotation. Let’s see also other good news from the industry:

• The US meat analogue sales through retail stores continued their deceleration in October, down 12.1% year-over-year. Combined refrigerated and frozen plant-based meat alternatives generated $74.4 million in the four weeks ending October 29, 2023.
• Officials in U.S. North Carolina state, Watauga County, voted unanimously to tentatively approve plans for a proposed beef and pork slaughter and processing plant. Funding for the $4.2-million project will be provided by local companies, while the county board is expected to consider a third contract covering construction of the plant.
• China’s General Administration of Customs granted approval for 12 U.S. pork establishments to export to China, the first approval of new U.S. plants for export to China in nearly 10 months. Why, if China is self-sufficient?
• Wageningen Bioveterinary Research, in collaboration with Ceva Santé Animale, Vion Food, the University Farm Animal Practice in Harmelen, the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Utrecht University, Royal GD, the Royal Dutch Society for Veterinarians and the Collective of Practicing Veterinarians are starting a four year study to  investigate in which age groups the swine flu viruses and antibodies against this virus can be detected and which virus strains cause the disease. The speed at which the virus spreads and which combinations of antibodies and immune cells provide sufficient protection to inhibit the virus spread are also examined.
• The Polish Chief Veterinary Officer announced the publication of  Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/2708 establishing changes to regionalization in relation to African swine fever. Due to the above changes in regionalization, restrictions on the movement of pigs, meat and pork products will be eased. The changes are effective from November 30, 2023.
• The Polish Council of Ministers adopted the act submitted by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development regarding the „Local Shelf” project. The project envisages ensuring the sale of local products in retail trade units, such as: fruit and vegetables, meat and meat products, milk and dairy products, and bread in an amount not less than 2/3 of a given category of agri-food product in a given year.
• In the U.K. new Defra Secretary Steve Barclay has announced that almost £45 million in competitions and grants will open in the coming weeks as part of the Government’s ongoing investment to help farmers “foster innovation, boost productivity and improve animal welfare”. Defra’s Farming Innovation Programme, run in partnership with Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), has committed over £125 million in funding to date and supported 150 projects involving 400 organizations.

Events calendar:

• The „Centralna Targi Rolnicze,”  Central Agricultural Fair is an extensive annual agricultural exhibition held at the PTAK Warsaw Expo in Nadarzyn, near Warsaw, Poland. The acronym „CTR” stands for which translates to „Central Agricultural Fair.” This fair, organized by Ptak Warsaw Expo Sp. z o. o., will take place on 3 days from Friday, 08. December to Sunday, 10. December.
• The twenty-ninth edition of the Tirana International Fair takes place on 4 days from Wednesday, 06.12.2023 to Saturday, 09.12.2023 in Tirana, Albania. The fair primarily focuses on key sectors, including agriculture, tourism, construction, energy, and best practices for environmental sustainability. The fair’s venue is the Palace of Congresses, in the hearth of Tirana.
• AgriPro Asia Expo trade fair, specialized in equipment and products for agriculture, animal husbandry, food industry and horticulture, is held annually at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre and is organized by Brilliant Vertical Exhibition (Hong Kong) Ltd. This year it will take place on 3 days: from Thursday, 07. December to Saturday, 09. December 2023.

Circle In The Sand

I comment several times the lack of political actions to protect our industry.

Even in terms of news and market information, in the main media covering the red meat/pig industry the tendency is generally negative, providing a bad image of our activity.

World Climate Summit takes part in this period in Dubai. The North American Meat Institute and the Global Dairy Platform are attending and giving presentations in the defense of our industry. JBS is part of the Brazilian delegation.

What about our politicians? They are flying to a climatized Muslim country to find out the main dangers for the climate. Easiest and “politically correct” would be to draw a circle in the sand around the pigs…

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

COUNTRY	PIG(EUR)	TREND	PIGLET(EUR)	TREND	OBSERVATION
GERMANY	2,1 HW		72/25 kg
NETHERLANDS	1,98-2,12 HW		65,5/25 kg
BELGIUM	1,52 L		59/20 kg
DANEMARK	1,73-1,76 HW		80/30 kg
FRANCE	1,765 HW
ITALY	1,95 L115kg, 2,29 L160kg, DOC		114/30 kg
SPAIN	1,64 -1,65 L		70-79/20kg
PORTUGAL	2,3 HW
AUSTRIA	2,07 HW		92/31 kg
POLAND	1,58-1,88 L		78-119/20-30 kg		Partner info; no quotation
CROATIA	2,0-2,2 HW		97-102 / 25 kg		Partner info; no quotation
SERBIA	2,3 L		105-117/ 25 kg		Partner info; no quotation
CZECH R.	2,1 HW		69-74/ 25 kg		Partner info; no quotation
SLOVAKIA	1,77 -1,85 L		92-97/25 kg		Partner info; no quotation
HUNGARY	1,85 – 1,95 L		92-97/ 25 kg		Partner info; no quotation
ROMANIA	1,82 – 1,95 L		92-97/25kg		Partner info; no quotation