US Pork Export Forecast is Unchanged
US - Pork production is raised as firstquarter slaughter and first-half carcass weights are expected to be higher than forecast last month.

Nutreco Achieves Excellent Progress in 2011
NETHERLANDS - Nutreco saw excellent progress in 2011 where it achieved a total EBITA of €241 million.

2011 Pork Imports Higher Than a Year Ago
UK - Imports of fresh and frozen pork from January to November 2011 were three per cent higher compared to the same months of 2010.

New Way to Map Drought and Water Use
US - Every month, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Center for Climate Prediction has a drought briefing by teleconference to identify the latest drought areas in North America,...

Importers Face High Stocks & Weak Demand
SOUTH KOREA - Various Korean beef importers reported this week that high stock levels and weak consumer demand is hindering trading activity, reports Meat and Livestock Australia.

December 2011 Retail Animal Feed Production Down
UK - The total production of animal feed during December 2011 was lower than in December 2010 by 3.5 per cent.

Precision Feeding Cuts Feeding Costs
CANADA - A Research Scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada suggests, by utilizing new technologies to better match feed to the nutritional requirements of the pig, pork producers can lower their...

China Pork Prices Higher in January
CHINA - Prices of pork, China's staple meat, soared 25 per cent year-on-year in January.

Weekly Roberts Market Report
US - A firmer US dollar and lower crude soybean oil prices hung over the market, writes Michael T. Roberts.

Improved Profits Projected for Pork Producers
CANADA - The General Manager of H@ms Marketing Services predicts Canadian pork producers will reap slightly stronger profits in 2012 than they did in 2011, Bruce Cochrane writes.

Livestock Company Opens Feed Factory
VIET NAM - The Hong Ha Nutrition Joint stock Co, a private Vietnamese firm, yesterday inaugurated an advanced animal feed production line to raise its capacity to 400,000 tonnes per year, becoming the...

Breeding Success and Maximising Returns
CANADA - The London Swine Conference will be held for two days, 28-29 March 2012, at the London Convention Centre in London, Ontario.

Bill for Grocery Adjudicator Needed Urgently
UK - The National Farmers' Union (NFU) has called on the Government to bring forward a Bill to establish a Groceries Code Adjudicator as a matter of urgency.

Pork Commentary: Russia Hog Prices Real Strong
RUSSIA - This past week we spent several days with Russian swine producers, writes Jim Long.

Farm Produce Prices Fall on Waning Demand
CHINA - Farm produce prices broke an eight-week rising trend last week and fell on sliding demand as the Spring Festival holiday ended, the Ministry of Commerce said on Wednesday.

CME: Forecasts Revised as Droughts Damage Crops
US - As US farmers get ready for plantings this spring, they are keeping a close eye on the developing crops in South America. And for good reason, write Steve Meyer and Len Steiner.

Italian Pork Prospects Poor; Irish Forecasts Positive
GLOBAL - About 10 per cent of Danish pig production is located outside Denmark. As a result, farmers and investors have managed to establish large production installations which annually deliver about...

EU Pig Prices: Demand from Slaughter Companies
EU - The shortage in supply, which is even intensified by the current pan-European cold spell, still characterises the current week’s EU pig market conditions.

Charoen Pokphand Foods Merges Subsidiaries
THAILAND - The SET-listed Charoen Pokphand Foods Plc (CPF) has consolidated 10 units operating agro-industrial and food businesses into a new firm, CPF (Thailand) Plc.

Tyson Shows Rise in Sales
US - Tyson Foods has reported a rise in first quarter sales of 9.4 per cent compared to last year up to $8.3 billion.

Bigger, Leaner, Better Hogs Coming to Market
US - We like our sayings in threes. Blood, sweat and tears. Mo, Larry and Curly. I believe a three-word phrase also describes the market hogs of the past few years: Bigger, leaner, better, writes Steve...

Corn Markets Remain Unsettled
US - The 2011-12 corn marketing year is approaching the half-way point. At this time of year, prospects for marketing year consumption and ending stocks are often fairly clear and the market begins to...

FMD NEWS: Cases Discovered in Pigs in Kinmen
The latest news on Foot-and-Mouth Disease outbreaks around the world.

This Week's Pig News Round–Up
ANALYSIS - One of the largest pig meat producers in the EU has announced its plans to raise pig welfare standards at home, which will push up pork prices, and to seek expansion possibilities in China,...

European Pig Prices Starting to Fall
GLOBAL - Following the end of the dioxin crisis in Germany at the end of January 2011, the EU cull sow market gradually recovered and prices increased steadily through most of the year.

Hog Prices End the Week on a Steady Note
US - Iowa State University calculations estimate the average cost of production in 2011 for farrow to finish operations at a record 65 cents per pound of live weight, writes Ron Plain.

The Cold Weather Will Warm Up the Market
UK - Although DAPP dropped a further 1.04p to stand at 142.31p, Cranswick probably set the trend last week by leaving its shout price unchanged and this cue was followed by Tulip, leading to all the other...

CME: Job Growth Has Returned
US - Friday’s employment reports from the Bureau of Labour Statistics indicate that job growth has returned, write Steve Meyer and Len Steiner.

NCBA Cattlefax: Hope for Strong 2012 Corn Harvest
ANALYSIS - There is a strong need for a successful 2012 corn harvest, as the US competes on global markets. Meanwhile global demand for ethanol is pushing US corn usage up, said the CattleFax team at the...

CME: What Can the Prices of Beef & Pork Cuts Tell Us
US - What can the prices of individual beef and pork cuts tell us about a) consumer preferences and b) the types of animals we should be raising? write Steve Meyer and Len Steiner.