The report, 'The EU Pork Industry: Competitive Power is Key', says that decisions should be based not only on company position, but also on five key success factors: cost competitiveness, sourcing, efficiency, market approach, and client access.

The focus should be on reducing the cost of production through efficiency-improving investments, and by strengthening their position in the value chain by either making strategic investments or through a merger or sale to strengthen their competitive position.

In other news, scientists in Europe are addressing the high costs of feed in pig production.

The ECO-FCE project aims to find strategies to optimise feed efficiency in monogastrics, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and nitrogen and phosphorus excretion.

As part of the project, a novel study by Spain's IRTA showed that increasing the precision with which feed is offered (by using more homogeneous groups of animals and up to 9 different feed formulations across the growing and finishing period) was beneficial compared to 2-phase or even 5-phase conventional feeding.

Other work also demonstrated that the use of exogenous enzymes in combination with liquid feeding and prolonged soaking of ingredients improved nutrient utilisation and productive results in fattening pigs.

In disease news, Lithuania has reported a new outbreak of African Swine Fever in a backyard pig operation in Vilnius County. A further eight outbreaks were also reported in wild boar across the country.

Estonia also reported 27 new outbreaks in wild boar.