Spectacular step: Big Dutchman takes over HOWEMA
GERMANY - HOWEMA GmbH & Co. KG from Visbek-Wöstendöllen will within short be taken over by Big Dutchman Pig Equipment GmbH located in Vechta-Calveslage. These two renowned and internationally successful companies from the German district of Vechta will...

EDEKA Südwest and PIC Deutschland Sign Technology Contract for Meat Quality
GERMANY - PIC's German subsidiary, PIC Deutschland GmbH, has signed a contract with EDEKA Südwest Fleisch GmbH for collaboration on quality control for the EDEKA "Gutfleisch-Programm", a Premium Meat Programme. A pool of EDEKA Meat Quality...

GERMANY - A regional agriculture minister has promised to oppose attempts by the German government to goldplate the EU welfare regulations (which are already in force in UK).

Classical Swine Fever in Germany
GERMANY - Follow-up report No. 2. An outbreak of Classical Swine Fever (CSF) has been reported (via OIE) in the Bad Dürkheim district, Rhineland-Palatinate (Rheinland-Pfalz) Land, Germany

Difficult year ahead for German farmers
GERMANY - German consumer protection minister Renate Kunast (Green party) predicts that the current year will again be difficult for German farmers owing to the general weakness of the economy.

German Pig Herd Grows
GERMANY - The total pig herd in Germany has increased in size by just under one per cent, or 214,000 head, to almost 26.2 million head, according to results of the country's November census.