ThePigSite Newsletter

Tuesday 4th May 2010

Our Sponsors Helping keep you updated for free!

ON-LINE SHOP Â Â Â News Â Â Â Company News Â Â Â Whole Hog Â Â Â Events Â Â Â Photos Â Â Â Jobs Â Â Â Bibliography Â Â Â PCVAD Â Â Â Recipes Â Â Â SEARCH

Welcome to this week's newsletter

Editorial - Pressure Mounts to Postpone EU Sow Stall Ban

In the EU, pressure is building to put back the partial stalls ban â€“ due in 2013 â€“ because so many pig producers cannot find the money to convert to loose housing.

A recent vote in a committee meeting at farmers union, Copa-Cogeca, found 16 in favour of pressing Brussels for a derogation, and only one â€“ Denmark â€“ in favour of the partial ban going ahead as planned in January 2013. Despite the vote, a derogation is unlikely to be agreed because it would undermine the credibility of the European Commission. It would put Danish, Swedish, Dutch and British producers, who have invested heavily in loose housing, at a major disadvantage.

Statistics Canada says the Canadian breeding herd was 5.8 per cent smaller on 1 April than a year earlier, and the market hog inventory was down 1.6 per cent.

In a significant international move on animal welfare, major non-governmental organisations have signed an innovative declaration to set up the Transatlantic Animal Welfare Council (TAWC), which brings together the world's two largest trading blocs â€“ the EU and the USA â€“ ensuring the highest standards of animal welfare are achieved.

A report from the USDA says that African Swine Fever now threatens more than 25 per cent of Russia's pig production as it now moving north to the major pork-producing regions.

In the last week, outbreaks of foot and mouth disease in pigs have been reported in China, Japan and South Korea.

In one positive disease-related news item this week, it has been reported that the Canadian farmer whose pigs were the first to be infected with the influenza A H1N1 virus one year ago has resumed selling pigs.

Jackie Linden

This Week's Feature Articles

We have 7 new features this week:

The Future of Staffing for the Pig Industry
Staff are the single most important asset to a pig business, and the UK industry is well placed to offer attractive employment, according to Richard Hooper. Jackie Linden, editor of ThePigSite, summarises his recent talk at the BPEX KT Event 2010.

Agriculture and Food Chain Need Collaborative Approach
The meat and livestock industries will need to collaborate along the chain if they are to pull themselves out of the current recession caused by the banking crisis last year, writes ThePigSite senior editor, Chris Harris.

Effects of Docked Tail Length and Nursery Space Allowance
Stocking density and tail length have some influence on tail biting, according to K. Bovey and colleagues at the University of Guelph. Penny Lawlis of the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) has set out the highlights of their work.

London Swine Conference 2010
The London Swine Conference 2010 was held in London, Ontario, Canada on 31 March and 1 April 2010. The theme of the meeting was 'Focus on the Future'.

Canadian Hog Statistics - First Quarter 2010
By Statistics Canada. In the survey on 1 April, producers reported two per cent total pigs on farm than a year previously, and 5.7 per cent fewer sows, continuing the decline in the Canadian pig population. Slaughter numbers have remained steady for the last three quarters.

Russian Federation - Livestock and Products Semi-Annual Report 2010
Attaining self-sufficiency through import substitution is the goal of the GOR, but pork production failed to offset the reduced quota in 2009, driving prices slightly higher and consumption lower, according to Morgan Haas and Mikhail Maksimenko in the latest GAIN report from USDA Foreign Agricultural Service. They expect beef imports to steady since the beef constituency remains small and the GOR has effectively reduced pork and poultry supplies.

Japan - Livestock and Products Semi-Annual Report 2010
Subtitled 2010 Japanese Beef and Pork Market Outlook, this report revises the 2009 livestock annual report, without fundamental changes. The deflationary trend that began last year is not expected to end soon, according to this GAIN report from USDA Foreign Agricultural Service.

The first and only vaccine for the control of Porcine Proliferative Enteropathy.

Company News

CID Lines Publishes Guide to Healthy Pig Farming
BELGIUM - CID Lines has published a new booklet entitled Pigs, the complete guide to healthy pig farming.

Global Pig Industry News