“The TPP will benefit American consumers, workers, businesses, farmers and ranchers, and we’re confident it will provide enormous new market opportunities for high-quality US pork products,” said NPPC President John Weber, a pork producer from Dysart, Iowa.

“America’s pork producers strongly support the TPP, and we urge Congress to quickly pass it.”

“The ITC report confirms what we’ve known about the benefits of an agreement that eliminates tariff and non-tariff barriers to our products,” Mr Weber said.

“Not only will the TPP level the playing field for US exports and, in fact, expand them, but it has the potential to become even bigger. For all intents and purposes, the agreement has become the global vehicle for free trade.”

In other news, in a new review of antimicrobial resistance, farming has been outlined as one of the key areas to help halt this global issue.

The review, by Lord Jim O'Neill, said that many countries use more antibiotics in animals than humans, and suggests more transparency is needed from food producers.

In response to the report, the UK's Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture (RUMA) Alliance announced it is setting up a ‘task force’ to look at how meaningful targets can be developed to replace, reduce and refine antibiotic use in UK agriculture.

John FitzGerald, RUMA’s secretary general, said: “We also understand the report’s ambition to develop long-term targets. The industry has long recognised the beneficial role targets can play, but is acutely aware that inappropriate targets can also be counterproductive and even lead to increased risk of resistance.

In disease news, an outbreak of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhoea (PED) has been reported on a farrow to wean farm in Elgin county, Ontario, Canada.

Continued PED testing in the US by USDA APHIS confirmed the number of pig farm samples that were positive for PEDV in the 12 May 2016 report was 21.

In Ukraine a new outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) has been reported on a backyard pig farm in Hyrchychna village.