The Meat and Livestock Commission's Outlook 2006 was split into parallel sessions in the afternoon, one of which focused on pigs. The event was held at 1 Gt George Street on January 31 and attracted more than 170 people.

Speakers included British Pig Executive Chief Executive Mick Sloyan, Home-Grown Cereals Authority Senior Economist Julian Bell and Anne Birgitte Lundholt, former CEIO of Danske Slagterier, now Vice President of the International Meat Secretariat.

Mick Sloyan's presentation included a section on the updated Road to Recovery which has just been published concentrating on health, costs, industry confidence and value.

His other key points were that the industry was facing:

• Greatly improved productivity but a small decline in the breeding herd

• A small decline in EU production

• Global competition will keep European prices under pressure

• Progress with WTO but no direct impact this year

Julian Bell said there were five key issues:

• A big world grain crop in 2005 leaving the EU reliant on Brussels support

• World grain stocks falling, EU stocks rising

• Forward wheat prices above intervention

• Soya bean stocks building

• Volatility in the market will continue

Anne Birgitte Lundholt believed:

• New players such as Brazil would become a major force

• Veterinary and food safety issues will become increasingly important

• Agriculture is not something special, it is a business like any other

• We have higher costs so we must produce something which gives a higher price

• Focus on efficiency and the entire chain

• Fight any kind of bad farming.

The full presentations from these speakers are available by clicking here.

Source: BPEX - 2nd February 2006