Welcome to this week's newsletter
Editorial - Meat Companies in the News for All the Wrong Reasons
In his Pork Commentary a week ago, Jim Long of Genesus highlighted just how bad things had turned for Canada's Big Sky Farms. It was the world's largest government-owned pig farm with 42,000 sows. In court papers filed for creditor protection, Big Sky revealed it owes C$96 million and since June, it has been losing about C$2 million a month.
In the US, meat processing giant, Tyson Foods, reported it made a net loss over the last year of $537 million, compared to a profit of $86 million in the previous year.
And allegations from a welfare campaigning group of animal cruelty on a number of pig farms over a two-year period have forced the chairman of Swedish Meats to resign from this and all the other offices he holds in the industry.
Responding to growing concerns about the prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in humans, a survey has been carried out of EU farms with breeding herds. One or more types of MRSA was found on farms in 17 out of the 24 EU countries that participated in the survey.
MRSA is a major concern for public health and its various types are recognised as an important cause of hospital-acquired infections in humans. The specific type MRSA ST398 has been identified in some domestic animals and is considered an occupational health risk for farmers, veterinarians and their families, who may become exposed to it through direct or indirect contact with these animals.
New guidelines and then legislation for the control of MRSA on EU pig farms are likely already to be in the pipeline.
Jackie Linden
We have 5 new features this week:
Abundant Harvest of New Knowledge on PCV2 Biology
Dr Catherine Charreyre, head of research projects in the swine business at Merial, outlined the key lessons from the different work packages on porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) by the PCVD Consortium at the recent PCVD Forum 2009 organised by Merial in Athens, Greece, writes Jackie Linden, editor of ThePigSite.
H1N1 Virus in Norway's Pigs and Humans 'Virtually Identical'
Researchers at the Norwegian Veterinary Institute have found evidence that humans were the most likely source of the H1N1 virus, which caused the outbreak of influenza in pigs in the country that began in October 2009. Jackie Linden summarises the findings for ThePigSite.
Biosecurity in Swine Production: Widespread Concerns?
The importance of applying biosecurity measures in pig production were explained by Marie-Ève Lambert and Sylvie D’Allaire from the University of Montreal at the Banff Pork Seminar 2009. They say: "A knowledge of the biosecurity procedures used in a region is important to identify factors that need to be corrected to increase the success rate of a control programme."
Environmental Impact of Improvements in Genetics and Nutrition over 25 Years
The environmental impact of improvements in genetics and feeding programmes for pigs over 25 years has been studied at North Carolina State University (NCSU), reported by Eric van Heugten and published in the University's Swine News.
Improving Key Performance Indicators: Pre-Weaning
Increasing the number of pigs born alive and piglet survival rate through to weaning have a significant impact on profitability. BPEX offers advice on improving those key performance indicators in number 24 in its series Action for Productivity.
Safety for Pig Farmers
UK - Farms are dangerous places! But something is being done to reduce the risk of fatalities – a health and safety training course for East Midlands pig farmers will run on 1 December 2009.
'The Sound of Nutrition' at World Nutrition Forum 2010
AUSTRIA - Experts and industry delegates gather to discuss the future of nutrition, Biomin's NutriEconomics programme, developments in science, business, the environment and leadership at the World Nutrition Forum 2010 in Salzburg.
» International Award for Biolink
» Consumers to Have Clearer Food Labelling
» British Banger Supplier is 2009 Start-Up Star
» Call for Europe to Adopt Clearer Food Labelling
» Report Calls for Livestock Production Cuts
» Funding for Yorkshire Pig Industry
» Christmas - A Time for Taking as Well as Giving
» New Pig Wall Planner
» Grain Test Weight Deception
» Weekly Outlook: Pork Industry on Last Leg Down
» Tyson Posts $537 Million Loss
» Market Preview: Pork Exports on the Rebound
» Red Meat Promotion to Begin New Fiscal Year
» Animal Welfare Forces Pressurise Pork Industry
» Indoor Pigs are Healthy Pigs
» Pigs: Pets or Pork?
» EU Pig Prices: Steady Situation Throughout Europe
» Results of the First Survey on MRSA in Pigs in the EU
» Nutreco Acquisition of Cargill Companies Approved
» EC Approves €275 M for Animal Health Programmes
» Commission Authorises GM Maize
» Pork Commentary: Big Sky Saga Continues
» Closer Monitoring of Nutritional Value of Rations
» Quick, Safe and Effective Vaccine Delivery Offered
» Evidence Shows H1N1 Prefers People to Animals
» Loan Loss Reserve Programme Applications Pick Up
» Low-Stress Handling Compensates for Other Flaws
» Swedish Pig Farms Flout Animal Protection Laws
» Sow Shoulder Lesions Linked to Prolonged Lying
» Pig Scandal Forces Swedish Meats' Chair to Quit
» RSPCA Calls for Ban of Intensive Pig Farms
» Canada Offers to Sell Pork to Philippines
» Philippine Govt Prescribes Pork and Chicken Prices
» Mungwi Vet Warns Against Pork Consumption
» Locals Make Banana Waste into Feed Ingredient
» Teagasc: Pig Levy will Secure Top Class Service
» Explaining Salmonella Survival in the Feed Mill
» More A/H1N1 Outbreaks Reported in Norway
» Classical Swine Fever Recurs in Russia
» OIE Continues to Monitor CSF in Bulgaria
» H1N1 Transfer from Human to Pig under Investigation
» H1N1 Flu Detected in Indonesian Pigs
» China Approves First GM 'Phytase' Corn
» Govt to Impose Rules for Nitrate in Sausages and Ham
» Livestock Businesses in Need of More Support
That's all for this week!
Ed.
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