Pork Commentary: Canada’s Industry Downsizes
CANADA - This weeks North American Pork Commentary from Jim Long.

The Pros and Cons of Individual and Group Housing
MISSOURI - At the Missouri Pork Expo, Tim Safranski, University of Missouri Extension swine specialist reviewed individual and group housing and described the pros and cons of each.

FSIS Issues Notice on Verification of Carcasses
US - The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has issued FSIS Notice 35-08, “Verification of Carcasses That An Establishment Further Processes Without An Official Inspection Legend.”

Pork Crisis "On a Bigger Scale"
EU - The landscape of the European pig industry crisis changed dramatically last week when Denmark announced a big slide in pig numbers between April 2007 and April 2008, most of which has taken place in the last four months.

Phase One of Revitalization Plan Launched
CANADA - Alberta’s pork industry, fighting an unprecedented financial crisis, is searching aggressively around the world and outside the pork industry in order to build a realistic plan for long-term revitalization.

Pork Futures: Pork Bellies End Mixed
CHICAGO - Pork bellies closed mixed, live cattle ended lower and feeder cattle settled mostly firm.

Weekly Outlook: Corn Production Prospects Uncertain
US - The USDA’s Prospective Plantings report released on March 31 provided much of the fuel for the spring rally in corn prices.

French Abatoirs Deemed Scandalous
FRANCE - It has been reported that almost half of the slaughterhouses in France fail to conform to European standards of hygiene, as per a memorandum from the Directorate General of Food (DGAL).

Hog Producers Pay to Wait
MANITOBA - The Winnipeg Free Press says: Manitoba's weanling pig producers are playing an expensive waiting game (it costs some of them thousands of dollars a week) while U.S. legislators put the finishing touches on this year's long-delayed American...

Pork and Chicken Price Changes Differ
THE PHILIPPINES - According to ABS-CBN, while the price of pork goes down, chicken prices take a leap.

Manitoba Abbattoirs Interested in Culled Swine
CANADA - Manitoba Pork Council reports a strong interest among provincial abattoirs in processing the pork from the hogs slaughtered under a federal program to reduce the national breeding for use by food banks, writes Bruce Cochrane.

Tesco Opts for Pork from Bowes of Norfolk
UK - Outdoor-reared Norfolk pork will be going into every Tesco store across East Anglia from today, writes Michael Pollitt (EDP Rural Affairs editor).

Biofuel Ethusiasm Problematic for Hog famers
CANADA - According to industry figures, when a hog farmer takes his hog to market, he suffers a loss of between $50 to $60 a hog, which, in a year's time, averages $300,000 to $360,000 in total net losses per farm.

USDA Announcement Pleases AFBF
KENTUCKY - The USDA has made an announcement to purchase up to $50 million worth of pork products.

PRRS: Vietnam Sees Signs of Encouragement
VIET NAM - According to Thanhnien News, there have been no new sightings of blue ear disease in the last three days, which is a positive sign, particularly for Thanh Hoa, one of the more hard-hit areas in Viet Nam.