ThePigSite Newsletter - 22 June 2009

ThePigSite Weekly Newsletter

Monday 22nd June 2009

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Welcome to this week's newsletter

Editorial: Industries in North America, China and Denmark Have a Tough Time

"This is a tough time for our industry, and we are having a hard time finding reasons for optimism," says Jim Long, president and CEO of Genesus Genetics. The collapse in demand for pork triggered by H1N1 is pounding the industry into submission, he adds. Losses continue to run at $20 to $30 per head, which is no basis for a sustainable industry.

It seems North America is not the only country struggling with an oversupply of pig meat. In China, pork prices fell 32 per cent in May to less than the production cost due to on oversupply in the market and concerns that the A(H1N1) influenza virus was connected with pigs. To ease the situation, China has started buying frozen pork for its government reserves. It's not so long ago that a disease outbreak led to a serious pork shortage in the country.

Denmark is another country where the pig industry has been under pressure. A new organisation has been formed to represent the industry from 'farm to fork'. The new entity comprises agriculture organisations Landbrugsraadet (The Danish Agricultural Council) and Dansk Landbrug (Danish Agriculture) have agreed to merge with Danish Meat Association (DMA). DMA is a gathering of Danske Slagterier, the Danish Livestock and Meat Board and the Danish Poultry Council).

And finally, EU public health agencies have evaluated methicillin resistance of Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), concluding that food-producing animals such as pigs often carry a specific strain of MRSA called CC398, without symptoms. However, there is currently no evidence that eating or handling contaminated food can lead to an increased health risk for humans.

Jackie Linden

This Week's Feature Articles

We have 6 new features this week:

Tools to Help Producers Control PRRS
The US industry set itself a long-term goal to eradicate PRRS from its pig population in 2002 and thanks to continuing research over the past few years, swine producers now have more tools to prevent and manage the disease, writes ThePigSite senior editor Chris Harris.

A Business that Gets Bigger as the Work Gets Smaller
Researcher Vincent Legendre is working for the French pig institute IFIP to map the flow of pig meat from abattoir to retail customer, writes Peter Crosskey for ThePigSite.

Developments on the Enviropig File
C.W. Forsberg and colleagues in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology at the University of Guelph report to the 28th Centralia Swine Research Update on progress breeding pigs that secrete the enzyme, phytase, in their saliva and thus require supplements of neither inorganic phosphorus nor phytase.

Boar Nutrition
Mike Tokach and his colleagues at Kansas State University's Applied Swine Nutrition Team offered practical tips on feeding boars at the Swine Profitability Conference 2009.

Better Gut Health Enhances Animal Performance
The health of the gastrointestinal tract is especially important for the young animal, writes Nataliya Roth, Technical Manager with Biomin Holding GmbH.

Information on Influenza A (H1N1) Control
Hygiene and emergency disease outbreak information for influenza A (H1N1) from DuPont Disinfectants.

Other new reports out this week

US Pork Outlook Report - June 2009
Pig Meat Export Bulletin - June 2009
United Kingdom Pig Meat Market Update - June 2009

Company News

Pig Industry Welcomes 'Academia & Industry Link'
UK - The country's largest pig breeding company, JSR, is supporting the recent change in the way the government is making higher education more accountable to industry.

Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health Adds Food Industry Staff
US - Jennie Hodgen, Ph.D., and Bob Giblin, APR, have joined Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health in two newly created positions established to develop the animal health company's relationships within the food chain.

New Boar Quality Assurance Scheme
UK - Although AI now accounts for 75-80 per cent of pig services nationally, the boar is still a very important animal on most farms and is used extensively to provide cover for sows both naturally and artificially inseminated on the farm.

Global Pig Industry News