Producers to Found National Union of Hog Breeders
RUSSIA - The country's largest domestic hog breeders have united to found a new special association, the National Union of Hog Breeders, which would help Russia become a world leader in pork production....

NFUS Wary of Creation of Independent Defra Body
UK - NFU Scotland, in its response to a Defra consultation on the creation of an Independent Body for Animal Health in England, has urged policymakers to take the impact on Scottish livestock farmers into...

Welfare Laws Fail Pigs Miserably
NEW ZEALAND - An official MAF report reveals current pig welfare legislation is strongly at odds with the views of the Prime Minister, the Minister of Agriculture and the majority of the New Zealand public...

EAC Secretariat and ILRI Unite Over Livestock
TANZANIA - The East African Community Secretariat and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), an international research institute with its headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya have signed...

FSIS Issues New Directive for Imported Meat
US - The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has issued a directive on verifying requirements for pre-stamping of imported meat and poultry.

Voluntary 14-day Antibiotic Withdrawal Period
US - Pork producers are being reminded to review their use of feed/water tetracycline-class antibiotics (tetracycline, oxytetracycline or chlortetracycline) to make sure their use meets standards set by...

Imported Pigs Crowd Out Local Pork
RUSSIA - The country's pork producers are facing a growing challenge from importers of live pigs who are using a loophole in customs regulations to avoid quotas and higher tariffs.

MSP Report Welcomed Depending on Price to Survive
SCOTLAND, UK - NFU Scotland has welcomed the Scottish Parliament’s Rural Affairs and the Environment Committee’s report into the Scottish pig industry. However, even if the Scottish Government and producers...

Ag Guide Open for Comment
US - The draft Guide for the Care and Use of Agricultural Animals in Teaching and Research (Ag Guide) is available for comment.

Russia Bans Imports from Chile and Argentina
RUSSIA - The authorities have banned imports of pork from Chile and Argentina.

FSA Backtracks on Meat Hygiene Charges
SCOTLAND, UK - The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has announced that that a proposed four per cent increase in meat hygiene charges in abattoirs will not go ahead this autumn.

Camelina Meal Has Potential as Feed
US - Sustainable Oils is building markets for camelina oil and meal and sees strong momentum for the new crop. Camelina meal is being tested for broilers and GRAS approval is being sought for cattle and...

M-COOL Negotiations Yield Little Progress
CANADA - The minister of international trade reports there is little progress in discussions with the United States aimed at resolving Canada's concerns over Mandatory US Country of Origin Labelling...

Farming Groups Welcome Clean Energy Bill
US - The House of Representatives has approved legislation that will allow farmers, ranchers and forest owners to fully participate in a market-based carbon offset programme, earning income for activities...

Finance Dept Considers Duty on Feed Wheat
PHILIPPINES - The finance department does not oppose proposals to extend the zero duty on food wheat but is more cautious on doing so for wheat for animal feed.

EU Ministers Agree Not to Extend Pollution Directive
EU - At the end of the first stage of negotiations, Environment Ministers have agreed not to extend the scope of the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Directive (IPPC) to cover smaller...

NPPC: Compromise Climate Change Legislation
US - "With US pork producers suffering record losses, the National Pork Producers Council cannot support climate change legislation even with the compromise language agreed to late Wednesday," NPPC said...

Moldova Withholds Trade Restrictions Due to H1N1
MOLDOVA - Moldova withheld restriction on trade in meat products and live animals while unrecognized breakaway Republic of Transdnistria introduced a ban on all products of animal origin from North American...

Corporation Keen on Tackling Pig Menace
TAMIL NADU, INDIA - The Tiruchi Corporation plans to approach the courts to get a directive on tackling the health hazard posed by stray pigs in the city, said Corporation Commissioner T. T. Balsamy.

Meat Quality Prediction in Scotland
SCOTLAND, UK - Plans for a project that will see Scotland leading the rest of the world in predicting the eating quality of cuts of meat were announced today.

Cash Vital in Surviving Economic Crisis
CANADA - A director with the Saskatchewan Pork Development Board says the pork industry has reached a crisis point where some method needs to be found to get cash into the hands of producers, writes Bruce...

PM Putin Drops by Store and Raps Pork Prices
RUSSIA - Prime Minister Vladimir Putin made a surprise visit to a Perekryostok supermarket on Wednesday evening and won a promise from the chain's managing director to cut prices on pork.

FMD NEWS: Disease Hits Taiwan
GLOBAL - Keep up-to-date with Foot-and-Mouth Disease outbreaks across the world.

EU Ministers Agree To New Slaughterhouse Rules
EU - Conditions for animals at the time of killing will improve considerably from 1 January 2013, when a regulation, agreed by the European Council and providing for a series of practical measures to ensure...

Contact with Gov't Representatives Encouraged
CANADA - Manitoba Pork Council is calling on the province's pork producers to write personal letters to government and on the public to support producers by understanding the situation and by buying pork,...