Dear readers,
Recent good news from the pig industry:
- USDA announced $35 million in grants to 15 independent meat processors across 12 states, aimed to increase processing capacity, promote competition, create rural jobs and expand market opportunities.
- The USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service has issued an English translation of China’s new national food safety standard for cooked meat products, which revises a 2003 document. According to the translation, the document’s title, structure, terminology and definitions have been changed. It contains modifications to requirements for site selection and environmental conditions around the plant, as well as to facilities and equipment.
Events calendar:
- The Polagra Fair, a leading annual event in the food industry, takes place at the Poznan International Fair Grounds in Poznań, Poland, on 3 days from Wednesday, 25. September to Friday, 27. September 2024.
- The Tallinn FoodFairis a vital hub for trade opportunities in the food industry. This year it is held at the Unibet Arena in the capital of Estonia on 2 days from Wednesday, 25.09.2024 to Thursday, 26.09.2024.
- The Expoalimentaria inLima, Peru, is a trade fair for the food, beverage, and gastronomy sectors. This year it takes place on 3 days from Wednesday, 25.09.2024 to Friday, 27.09.2024.
- The SÜFFA in Stuttgart, also known as the „Süddeutsche Fachmesse für das Fleischerhandwerk”, was founded in 1984 and has established itself as the leading trade fair for the German national meat industry. SÜFFA takes place on 3 days from Saturday, 28.09.2024 to Monday, 30.09.2024.
Bridge Over Troubled Water
African Swine Fever (ASF) widespread in the Philippines, taking a high toll in the pig farms of the country and heavily increasing the pork import of the country. In an attempt to control the disease, vaccination has been also tested. The Philippines Department of Agriculture (DA) reported that 18 of the 41 hogs that received the vaccine at two backyard farms in Lobo, Batangas, have developed antibodies against ASF so far. The program uses live vaccines from Vietnam, and the vaccinated hogs are expected to develop 90% antibodies against ASF. Judging from the 40% immunization observed and the seven hog fatalities reported at two farms participating in the experiment, I would be less optimistic…
In Poland ASF was confirmed on a farm located in the village of Kołki in Choszczno County in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship. The infected herd contained 10,339 pigs. As reporting does not require anymore the number of pigs on a farm, we can only suppose that this is the largest outbreak in Europe this year.
In the neighboring Germany more pigs are being imported again. According to the latest data Federal Statistical Office, a total of 6.9 million pigs were imported from January to July: around 500,000 or 8.1 % more than in the same period last year, almost exclusively due to the increased import of piglets . While the German farmer are still under the pressure of the politics, the still governing green party lost again in the local elections. It seems for now that they don’t even make it to the Brandenburg region parliament.
In the Netherlands, pig industry figures are also declining. In week 37, only 266,000 pigs were slaughtered, in the weeks before that always around 269,000 animals. In 2023 from week 39 more than 290,000 pigs were slaughtered weekly. This is a decrease of 80,000 a week, more than some East-European countries are slaughtering per week! The new Dutch governing coalition states that the number of animals needs to come down, due to environmental restrictions. The new policy aims to reduce livestock numbers by reducing the permit quantity on farms. Every time a farm will change ownership outside the family, a new permit will be for 70% of the original cattle capacity, 75% of the original pig capacity and 85% of the original poultry capacity. In addition, new buying-out regulations will be introduced.
Meanwhile, after the summer drought, we face now devastating floods in many countries. The disaster affects a large part of Europe, causing the loss of human lives, destruction of households and infrastructure, disruption in supply.
But it also affects farms, crops and can spread diseases.
In many ways, we need a bridge over troubled waters!
