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.

TOPIGS Philippines Imports Top Genetics
PHILIPPINES - TOPIGS Philippines recently imported 1111 top SPF genetics from Canada to set up a new nucleus farm for San Miguel Foods, Inc. (SMFI) in the Isabela province of the country. Thanks to this...

Rabobank: Prospects for Pork Bright in Q1 of 2012
GLOBAL - Prospects for the pork industry appears bright during the beginning months of 2012. Many segments of the pork industry returned to profitability in 2011 and as a result, stronger margins are expected...

Addressing Land-Based Systems & Price Outlook
US - Information about the latest trends and research focused on staying competitive in the swine industry will take center stage at Kansas State University's 2012 Swine Profitability Conference on Tuesday, 28...

December 2011 Pork Export Volume, Value Up
BRAZIL - The volume of pork exported in December rose slightly compared to a year earlier, and the US$-value was up more by almost 13 per cent.

A Satellite to Feed the World?
US - It is ironic that just when Earth-monitoring satellites are needed more than ever to address the food and freshwater demands of a burgeoning global human population, we face an impending gap in coverage...

Outlook Conference Date Set
UK - This year’s Outlook conference, jointly hosted by BPEX, DairyCo and EBLEX, will be held at One Great George Street in London, on Wednesday 2 May.

CME: Consumer Demand for Healthier Products
US - Consumer demand for more healthful products has driven hog and cattle producers to provide leaner and leaner animals to the market place — right?, write Steve Meyer and Len Steiner.

A New Year: Looking Back, Looking Forward
CANADA - As I look back over the past year here in Ontario, Canada I believe I see some growing optimism, writes Bob Fraser, Sales & Service, Genesus Ontario, Canada.

British Pork Production Highest Since 2002
UK - Last year, United Kingdom pig slaughterings were their highest since 2002, at 9.8m head — up six per cent on the previous year.

China Vows Enhanced Agricultural Investment
CHINA - China's central authorities on Wednesday said the nation will continue to step up investment and subsidies for agriculture this year in order to stabilize grain production.

Botswana Halts Imports of Pig Products from SA
BOTSWANA - The government has halted the importation of pigs and their products as well as pig feeds from South Africa as the Mpumalanga Province in that country has been hit with African swine fever that...

Why Should Spain Call for Moratorium of EC Rules?
ANALYSIS - This week the Spanish farmers issued a plea to their ministry of agriculture to intercede on their behalf to gain time with the European Commission over the introduction of enriched cages for...

H@ms Marketing Services to Rebate 2011 Fees
CANADA - H@ms Marketing Services has announced it will be rebating 80 per cent of the marketing fees paid by its member pork producers during 2011, Bruce Cochrane writes.

Spanish Farmers Call for Time to Convert Farms
SPAIN - Spanish poultry and pig farmers have called on the government for loans and more time to convert their farms to meet new EU welfare legislation.

Downward Trend in Slaughterings Forecast for 2012
GLOBAL - Pig slaughterings in the European Union grew two per cent year-on-year during the first three quarters of 2011.

Impacts of Ethanol Policies on Livestock Industry
CANADA - A study from the George Morris Centre demonstrates that the growth of ethanol production in Canada has had negative economic consequences for the livestock industry.

Cherkizovo Pork, Poultry Sales Volume Up in 2011
RUSSIA - Sales volumes in Cherkizovo's pork division in 2011 increased by four per cent to approximately 91,400 tonnes of live weight, compared to 87,650 tonnes in 2010

Pork Commentary: Iowa Pork Congress Report
US - The North American Swine Industry is mostly situated where grain and soybeans are grown. The high price of these crop commodities has increased farm land values in North America in there grain and...

Weekly Roberts Market Report
US - It would be a good idea for corn producers to consider pricing a portion of the 2012 corn crop at this time, writes Michael T. Roberts.

EU Pig Prices: Scarcity Continues to Raise Prices
EU - Like last week, this week too sees that the supply of slaughter pigs available on the European markets is insufficient for the most part to cover demand.

Focus on Sharing Ideas to Improve Pork Production
CANADA - An animal science professor with the University of Manitoba says the 2012 Manitoba Swine Seminar will feature information designed to equip the province's pork producers to improve the efficiency...

Pork's Demand Indicators Holding Strong
US - It appears 2011 domestic pork demand will end the year showing a gain compared to 2010. I say "it appears" because the final pieces of data – December pork exports and imports – will not be available...

This Week’s Pig News Round-Up
ANALYSIS – Several reports in the news in the last week highlight recent advances in pig production, writes senior editor, Jackie Linden. Topics range from vaccine efficacy and feeding GM maize to the...

Canadian Hog Producer Optimism on the Rise
CANADA - Optimism among hog producers is on the rise. In 2011 three quarters of hog producers (75 per cent) agree that their farm or business will be better off five years from now, according to a...

Danish Pig Sector Internationally Competitive
DENMARK - The Danish pig industry is in many respects competitive with foreign countries, but the historic gap is eaten up by distorting terms, according to a new analysis of the entire pig sector's c...