Welcome to this week's newsletter

Editorial – Sow Stalls Ban Just 13 Months Away: How Ready are EU Producers?

The latest BPEX Imports Report aims to provide an analysis of UK pork and pork products import trade and the possible implications of the partial ban on sow stall ban in the EU from January 2013. Sow stalls for use in pig production were banned completely in the UK in 1999, when the industry adopted loose housing production systems to raise animal welfare standards.

As well as exploring the possible impacts of the pig meat trade for the UK, the report offers the latest update on the level of preparedness for the forthcoming ban by pig producers in other EU states, for which there are no official data.

Until recently, it was widely assumed that Denmark would be fully compliant with the Directive, 2001/88/EC, by January 2013 but the producers' association has reported lately that nearly one-third of producers will be unable to comply with the new welfare requirements, a situation attributed to difficulties in applying for loans to finance the required investment.

Lack of profitability in the Dutch industry has been given as the main reason why the remaining two-thirds of producers have not yet updated their sow housing, while the additional burden of environmental regulations is adding to the difficulties of Dutch producers.

Germany is by far the largest pig meat producer in the EU, yet a Rabobank report indicates that only 20 per cent of the national sow herd is produced to the higher welfare standards demanded by the directive. Reductions in the numbers of in-pig gilts and maiden gilts in the last census suggests that some farmers are ceasing production rather than investing in new housing.

In Belgium, Rabobank estimates that only 20 per cent of the sow herd is 2001/88/EC-compliant already. The pig producers' organisation in Flanders has presented a plan to Government to reduce the national herd by 100,000 sows or 20 per cent to enable remaining farmers to improve their returns so they can invest in new housing.

In the Irish Republic, reports indicate compliance ranging from 20 per cent to 70 per cent of the pig herd, while only 30 to 40 per cent of France's pig sector was reported to be compliant as the result of financing problems.

Spain has the largest sow herd in the EU with 2.4 million head; the Rabobank report considered the industry to be only 30 per cent compliant in early 2011, while the same proportion of the Italian industry has already converted its sow stalls.

In Poland, the breeding herd has declined sharply and further falls are expected as loss-making producers decide to quit the industry. Similar patterns in sow numbers are reported in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania.

The latest figures from the US show commercial red meat production slightly higher in October than in the same month a year ago. Pork production for the month was up two per cent from the previous year.

Following the recent announcement that the European Commission is moving to cut the use of antibiotics in agriculture, the German Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection has announced a package of measures to gain better control of the use of antibiotics in animal husbandry. In the UK, antibiotic use is reported to be on the rise again after a prolonged period of decline although the report stresses that the use of antimicrobials per tonne of feed has risen only slightly.

And finally, research conducted at Canada's Prairie Swine Centre suggests the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids in the diet of the sow is of greater significance in influencing her reproductive performance than the actual amounts of the compounds.

Jackie Linden

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This Week's Feature Articles

Company News

AI Specialists Come Together in Spain
SPAIN - The annual AI seminar of AIM Worldwide was hosted by AIM Iberica this year.

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TOPIGS Boars from Canada to Russia
CANADA & RUSSIA - On 6 April 2011, TOPIGS transported 56 boars from Canada to four TOPIGS clients in Russia.

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Andrew Saunders Joins BPEX Board
UK - BPEX has welcomed Andrew Saunders as another new board member, following the departure of John Hughes who has retired.

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Benefits of Recording Feed Conversion
UK - "Efficient feed conversion is the most important economic trait in pig production yet, as an industry, we are quite poor at measuring it," Ed Sutcliffe, geneticist and technical director of pig-breeding company ACMC told a meeting of Northamptonshire Quality Pig Producers’ Association at Moulton College, near Northampton.

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UK Genetics and Support Win German Franchise
GERMANY - World class genetics, backed by advanced technical support, has clinched a major franchise contract for UK based JSR Genetics, in the form of a new breeding company, JSR Hybrid Deutschland GmbH.

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Genesus Looks for Sales Person - US Midwest
US - Genesus is looking for Sales Representatives. You will see our ad in Feedstuffs (below). Why? Genesus sales and supply are growing rapidly. the company is adding sales people not replacing.

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TOPIGS Imports Top Genetics into China
CHINA - TOPIGS has successfully imported 1003 top breeding pigs to China. These animals originate from TOPIGS nucleus farms in Canada. The great grandparent pigs are the top of the TOPIGS breeding pyramid and have the highest SPF health status.

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Global Pig Industry News

Australia

 » FMD NEWS: FMD Report Alarms Pork Industry
 » Kathryn Adams Appointed to Pork CRC Board
 » Abattoir May Lose Licence After Pig Investigation

Netherlands

 » Driving Sustainable Growth is Nutreco's Aim for 2016
 » Nutreco Agrees to Sell Hendrix to ForFarmers

China

 » Chinese Meat Production to Increase
 » Pair Detained for Illegal Pork Fat Production
 » 113 Penalised Over Chemical Tainted Pork

European Union

 » 2015: Calls to Cut Antibiotic Use by 50 Per Cent
 » EU Pig Prices: Steady Prices Prevailing
 » New Chairmen in Two Top EPP Branches
 » EU Ag Products Improved Access to Norway

United States

 » Liquid Swine Feed Gaining in Popularity
 » COOL Compliance with WTO Rules Pleases NFU
 » Turning Down Heat to Save Money after Weaning
 » Pork Exports Up During First Three Quarters of 2011
 » Evidence: Ban on Growth Promotion Use of Antibiotics
 » Market Preview: COOL Ruling and Pork Exports
 » Hogs: 2012 is Best Year in Era of High Feed Prices
 » Tyson Reports Drop in Income
 » CME: Inventory of Frozen Meat Down
 » CME: GIPSA Rule Enaction Creates Doubts
 » Hormel Sees Annual Profits Rise
 » Commercial Red Meat Production up Slightly
 » Plumrose Breaks Ground for New Facility
 » Livestock Producers Say Too Much Corn for Ethanol
 » PRRS Projects Stimulate Interest in Other Regions

General

 » US Breeding Pigs Clear China's Quarantine
 » US-China Trade Talks Progress
 » Corn Growers Tapped for Asian Leadership Mission
 » Philippines Working to Ship Pork to South Korea
 » Maggots Nurtured as Feed Protein Alternative
 » Africa Nearing Epidemic of Deadly Cassava Virus
 » Asian Meat Consumption Performing Strongly

Viet Nam

 » Investments to Help Sustain Global Market Demand

United Kingdom

 » UK Dairy Event Re-branded as Livestock Show
 » Pig Industry is in Good Hands
 » Biosecurity was Target of Meeting on Health
 » Record Farm Inputs Costs: Supply Chain Strain
 » Antibiotic Sales Increase Again
 » UK Slaughter Statistics - November 2011
 » South West Farmers Urged to Improve Slurry Storage
 » Most Pig Market Tipsters' Predictions Correct
 » Tulip Planning on Expanding in the UK

Ireland

 » Pig Farmers Not Benefiting from Rising Market
 » Government Urged to Address Farmer Age Imbalance

Canada

 » Pork Commentary: Canada-Mexico Win Trade Case
 » WTO COOL Ruling Applauded
 » Hopes of WTO Ruling Resolving Labelling Dispute
 » Hopes for Negotiated Resolution of M-COOL Dispute
 » Quebec 2012 Training Targets Expected to be Met
 » Omega-6 to Omega-3 Ratio Influences Performance
 » PRRS-Free Herd Certification Expanded

Germany

 » Ministry Imposes Stricter Control on Antibiotic Use
 » EuroTier 2012: Top Event for Agriculture

Japan

 » Stimulating Japanese Imports of North American Pork
 » Wheat Binge Eyed as Glut Undercuts Corn Price

Finland

 » New Films Show Continued Negligence on Pig Farms

Denmark

 » Danish Crown: Royal Honour for Japanese Customer
 » Danish Crown Demonstrates Stable Competitiveness

France

 » Food Safety Body Does Not Support Return of PAP

Belgium

 » Half of Producers Will Not Convert Sow Stalls
 » Deadline Nears for ESPHM Abstract Submissions

Philippines

 » Pork and Poultry Meat Supplies Likely to be Tight
 » DA: No Price Controls for Pork, Chicken for Now

Qatar

 » Qataris Campaign Against Sale of Pork

Cameroon

 » Heifer to Pilot Pig Manure Biogas Project

Brazil

 » Brazil Hog Markets

Korea, South

 » Pork Imports More Than Double in 2011

Spain

 » IMV Hosts Swine Fertility Day

Lithuania

 » EPP Announces 2012 Meeting

Croatia

 » Croatia Reports New Outbreak of Anthrax

That's all for this week!

Ed.