Nature recognizes discovery of new class of parasiticide
SWITZERLAND – Following the release today of landmark research data in Nature, international experts from the world of parasitology acclaimed a new class of anthelmintics from Novartis Animal Health as a major scientific advance.

Conference Report: Energy Production - A Key Earner for Pig Producers
UK - Energy could be the prime earner for pig farmers. In fact, pigmeat production - in financial terms - might simply become a by-product.

Open House for First Hi-Tech 'Finnish' System
FINLAND - A working partnership between equipment manufactured Big Dutchman and Finland's premier processer LSO Foods will officially unveil its first pig finishing operation tomorrow at Hämeenkoski.

Gian Giacomo Grandi New Manager Italian TOPIGS Company HBI
ITALY - TOPIGS is pleased to announce the appointment of Gian Giacomo Grandi (1958) as manager for HBI, with effect from 1 January 2008. HBI is the Italian subsidiary of TOPIGS.

Hendrix Genetics B.V. sells Plumex B.V. to its founder J. de Lange
GLOBE - Hendrix Genetics and Poultry Concepts signed an agreement in which Poultry Concepts acquires an 80% shareholding in Plumex, effective from 1st January 2008.

Merial's SAPO Licence Restored
Merial Animal Health has been given the go-ahead to restart making vaccines to protect animals from foot and mouth and bluetongue disease at its Pirbright Centre in the UK.

Production Benefits from IIleitis Vaccine
MID WEST - Porcine ileitis, a common disease also known as Porcine Proliferative Enteropathy, is caused by the bacterium Lawsonia intracellularis. The costs of the disease can be high and have been projected to exceed US$22 per affected pig and production...

ACMC Slams Cameron's 'Omissions'
UK - Stephen Curtis (pictured), chairman of Yorkshire-based international pig-breeding company ACMC, has written to David Cameron, leader of the Conservative party, about two serious omissions from his speech delivered at the NFU's centenary...

Sign of Times: GB Nucleus is Cut Back
UK - Leading pig breeding and genetics company JSR Genetics intends to reduce its United Kingdom nucleus herd. The cut backs will be made during this year - but it's not all down to the sad consequences of the current economic situation.

Croatian Minister Opens New EU-standard Pig Unit
CROATIA - Zdravko Škarec, a committed and innovative farmer from Polonje, Croatia, has his sights set on the European Union.

FMD Free Status Puts UK Back on Track
UK - Britain's pig industry is hoping the country's re-instated Foot and Mouth Disease-Free status will aid survival. The British Pig Executive (BPEX) is delighted with the news and says it give a welcome moral boost to the beleaguered sector.

BOOK REVIEW: Handbook of Pig Medicine
UK - David Burch reviews this recently published book written by Peter Jackson and Peter Cockroft

Liquid Feed System Offers Production Advantages
GERMANY - Big Dutchman has broadened its product range by introducing HydroAir, a new liquid feeding system designed to supply 1,000 to 4,500 piglets in the rearing phase.

Mossie's Pork Finds Five Star Favour
SCOTLAND - Executive Chef Mike Stoddart, of The Marcliffe Hotel near Aberdeen, was so impressed by the flavour and succulence of farmer Ian Davidson's pork that he put it on the hotel menu and gave it its own distinctive name - 'Mossie's Pork'.

Pork Commentary: Government Should Quit Sask Production
CANADA - Jim Long says North American prices will continue to fall and he also tables his thoughts on Saskatchewan's Big Sky situation and government's ownership of hog production in the province.

Confidence Survey Issued
UK - The British Pig Executive (BPEX) is to carry out its second Annual Industry Confidence and Service Quality Survey to discover how the industry has changed over the last year.

Pork Hits the Heights
UK - British consumers would be happy to pay a little more to help British pig producers according to a survey by the British Pig Executive (BPEX).

Disappearing Act Proves Desperate Point, says BPEX
UK - The British Pig Executive says that pig farming is disappearing before our eyes - and its new advertising campaign is proving just that.

DuPont Pledges $1 Million to World Food Prize
US - DuPont has made a $1 million contingent donation to fund the establishment of a permanent home for the World Food Prize in Des Moines, Iowa. The donation will support the transformation of the former Des Moines Public Library into the Norman E. Borlaug...

A Good Slap Needed
UK - Clear identification is a vital element of QA and traceability - and a legal requirement, so to help stockmen produce clear identification on slaughter pigs, BPEX has produced a slap marking instruction sheet.