Welcome to this week's newsletter

Editorial – Difficult Global Grain Market in Prospect

With a high proportion of pig production costs attributable to feed, upward movements in cereal prices are keenly felt by the industry. Earlier this year, there was some optimism that grain harvests would just about meet demand after a tight supply situation developed after last year's harvest in the northern hemisphere. However, that view is beginning to look overly optimistic as much of the main maize- and soybean-producing area of the US is suffering either from drought (in the south) or flooding (in the north).

There was some good news: the Russian government is to bring to an early end the embargo on grain exports that it imposed last year. Export trade may begin again from the beginning of July, which should ease the supply situation to some extent.

The Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Ghent University has launched an interactive web site, ABcheck, which is aimed to offer farmers, veterinarians and other stakeholders the ability to monitor antibiotic use on farms and compare with colleagues. The site also offers extensive background on the use of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance in animals.

The University says the web site allows users to calculate quickly and easily antibiotic use on the farm using a scientific method. It is even possible to compare your score with other farmers. Use of the web site is free of charge, unconditional and confidential.

In South Korea, it has been announced that the use of antibiotics in animal feed will be banned from July this year.

On notifiable diseases, in the last week, cases of African swine fever (ASF) have been reported on a farm in Torzhok in western Russia and in Tanzania, while Lithuania has banned the live pig trade after cases of classical swine fever (CSF) there.

And finally, this week sees the World Pork Expo taking place in Des Moines, Iowa, US. Editors from ThePigSite, Chris Harris and Chris Wright, will be at the event to bring you all the news, and visitors will be welcome at our booth, number 237 in the Varied Industries Building, VIB.

Jackie Linden

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This Week's Feature Articles

Company News

Awards for Top East Anglian Pig Co Producers
UK - An urgently needed increase in the retail price of pork would make a major difference in sustaining the UK pig industry, said Jim Burling, pig production manager of East Anglian Pig Co, at its second annual awards evening at Diss, Norfolk.

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HIPRA Presents Studies & Symposium in Barcelona
SPAIN - HIPRA will be sponsoring as its Gold Sponsor the upcoming 6th Emerging and Re-Emerging Pig Diseases that will be held from 12 to 14 June in Barcelona.

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Financial Innovation & Reforms Vital for All Markets
GLOBAL - Financial innovation and reforms are strengthening emerging markets and expanding the market for agricultural productivity investment, according to the Chief Sustainability Officer of Novus International.

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Pfizer Hosts Satellite Event at Barcelona Symposium
BARCELONA, SPAIN - Future prevention of emerging swine diseases will be the subject of a special satellite symposium sponsored by Pfizer Animal Health as part of the 6th International Symposium on Emerging and Re-emerging Pig Diseases in Barcelona this month (June).

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New Board Members for BPEX
UK - The two, who take up their positions immediately, are Alastair Butler, from Blythburgh Free Range Pork in Suffolk and Ian Smith, Director of Farming for Bedfordia Farms.

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ACMC Tip: Give Sows an Annual Worm Check
UK - For pig herds using Vetscore monitoring the presence or absence of 'milk-spot' livers gives very useful information as to the prevalence of ascarid worms on the farm, says Paul Thompson, veterinary consultant to pig-breeding company ACMC Ltd.

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JSR Signs Key German Contract
GERMANY - JSR, one of the world's leading pig genetics businesses, has made further strides in Europe by signing a key distribution contract with Premium Pork Farms GmbH, based in Neuenkirchen, Westphalia, Germany's prime pig production area.

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World Pork Expo Seminars Offer Business Insights
US - The programme for the World Pork Expo includes seminars offering a wide range of business insights.

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Global Pig Industry News

Philippines

 » FMD NEWS: FMD-Free Stamp Boosts Pork Exports
 » One Ton of Tainted Pork Seized in Bulacan

United States

 » Continued Poor Performance in US Economy
 » US COOL May Not Survive Legal Challenges
 » Crop Markets Reflect New and Missing Information
 » CME: Pork Export Demand Exceptionally Strong in Q1
 » APHIS Amends Health Testing Rules for Export Swine
 » CME: Sharp Pullback in Grain Markets
 » Cooking Temperature Expected to Boost Pork Sales
 » Farmers and Ranchers Back House Spending Bill
 » NPB Comment on USDA's 'My Plate' Food Icon
 » PorkBridge Educational Series Returns This Month

General

 » FAO & Max Planck Institute Tackle Zoonotic Diseases
 » Cooperation to Address Common Challenges

United Kingdom

 » Woodhead Breaks Ranks
 » Soybean Report Highlights Environmental Threat
 » Freedom Food Accreditation for Sainsbury's Supplier
 » More Moves on Chinese Market
 » VION Launches 'Put Pork on your Fork' Campaign
 » Timely Boost for Scotland's Pig Producers
 » Some AHVLA Office Locations to Change
 » AHVLA Surveillance Monthly Report - April 2011

Thailand

 » PM Wants Pork and Egg Prices Slashed

Canada

 » Pork Commentary: US Swine Industry Faces Major Profit Challenge
 » Ruling on US COOL Generates Cautious Optimism
 » Movement of Canadian Cattle and Hogs to US
 » Federal Swine Industry Support Secured
 » Maple Leaf Completes C$800 Million Debt Refinancing
 » Expertise Shared at 11th London Swine Conference

Australia

 » Technology Brings Biosecurity Experts Face-to-Face
 » Pork CRC: Pork on a Health Roll
 » Pork CRC: Bench Pressing Lifts

European Union

 » EU Pig Prices: Prices About to Increase

Tanzania

 » ASF Outbreak in Tanzanian Free-Range Pigs

Russian Federation

 » Dead Pigs Found in the Bryansk Oblast
 » Milk Product to Build $107m Pig Complex
 » Russia Lifts Grain Export Ban
 » African Swine Fever Outbreak in Torzhok
 » Russia Bans Brazilian Meat from Three States
 » One More Outbreak of ASF in Tverskaya Oblast

France

 » Registration is Open for SPACE 2011
 » Tackling Challenges of Animal Health Surveillance

Ukraine

 » Ukrainian Pork Exports Show Sharp Rise in 2011
 » Pork from Russia's Central Fed District Banned

Belgium

 » Ghent Launches Web Site to Measure Antibiotic Use

Korea, South

 » Feed Antibiotic Ban Ahead for South Korea

Lithuania

 » Lithuania Bans Live Pig Trade After CSF Cases
 » Two New Outbreaks of CSF in Lithuania

Costa Rica

 » Market Leader, Pipasa, Acquired by Cargill

Ireland

 » Minister Stresses on Importance of Livestock Sector

Myanmar

 » Mysterious Pig Deaths in Rangoon Not PRRS

China

 » Subsidiary Re-opens After Additive Scandal

Viet Nam

 » CPP Acquires CP Viet Nam Livestock



That's all for this week!

Ed.