World Hog news:

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Friday, September 12, 2008Print This Page
Surge in Pig-breeding Stock Exports to Spain
UK - Yorkshire-based international pig-breeding company ACMC reports a surge in exports to Spain, since the foot-and-mouth disease restrictions were lifted.

 
Since January this year the company has been making regular monthly shipments of breeding stock - Meidam GPs, Vantage Ultra boars and AC1 gilts - amounting to 800 animals worth over £180,000.

These have been used to meet increased sales from a 7,300-sow operation in the Aranda de Duero region of northern Spain, owned by Marcial Chico, which also has its own nucleus unit.

A new 640-sow commercial unit near Segovia has recently been constructed and built to EU 2013 standards in terms of welfare. Sows are group-housed on straw, a novelty in Spain.

"Spanish commercial pig farmers have been impressed with their temperament, hardiness and prolificacy under this system and the fact that performance figures are being maintained," commented Matthew Curtis, managing director of ACMC.

Mothering ability has also been a feature. Overall, the Spanish company has been averaging more than 25 pigs sold per sow per year - an impressive figure from 7000+ sows. Since switching to ACMC stock using Vantage Ultra boars, feed conversion rate on commercial finishers has improved by 0.2, he reports.

[mikey]

Friday, September 12, 2008Print This Page
Govt. Urged Look into 'Unprecedented Crunch'
TAIWAN - A lawmaker has urged the central government to look into what he called an "unprecedented crunch" facing Taiwan's pig farmers whose livelihoods have been seriously affected by rising feed prices and steep falls in pork prices.



Speaking at a news conference, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmaker Pan Meng-an asked the government to reduce pork imports to help stabilize pork prices in Taiwan.

During the first five months of this year before President Ma Yin jeou came to power, pork imports were maintained at a level between 1,000-1,2000 tons per month, he said.

However, The China Post reports that after Ma assumed office May 20, pork imports surged to 2,700 tons in June, 4,000 tons in July and 4,900 tons in August -- causing pork prices in the domestic market to plummet rapidly despite the fact that almost all other product prices were still rising, he said.

Pork prices picked up to NT$7,729 per 100 kilograms in early June before plunging to the current level of between NT$6,200 and NT$6,400 (US$200), according to Pan.

[mikey]

Friday, September 12, 2008Print This Page
Intervet/Schering-Plough: New Vaccine, High Payback
UK - Porcilis® COLI 6C, a sow vaccine developed to protect piglets against E. coli and Clostridium perfringens via antibodies in the colostrum, has been added to Intervet / Schering Plough's range of pig vaccines.

 

The new vaccine provides broad protection against these pathogens which are frequently found in outdoor and straw based pig production systems.

The formulation of Porcilis® COLI 6C is identical to that of GLETVAX® 6, a vaccine that was recently acquired by Pfizer from Schering-Plough as part of a product divestiture programme. Like its forerunner, sows only require a single booster dose of the new Porcilis® vaccine, which makes it simple for farmers to incorporate this new product into their existing vaccination programmes. Incoming gilts and previously non-vaccinated sows will require two doses of the vaccine for the primary course.

John Richardson of Intervet / Schering Plough says that the new vaccine is a very useful addition to the comprehensive Porcilis® range.

"The loss of a single pig due to E.coli or Clostridial scours is equal to the cost of protecting 146 pigs by the vaccination of just 13 sows. So the strategy of using this vaccine does offer a very high payback on investment," he adds.

Porcilis® COLI 6C is available from pig veterinarians and animal health product retailers. It is supplied in 50 ml vials (10 doses) and can be easily and accurately administered using Intervet / Schering Plough's high-quality, automatic, vial-mounted 5ml fixed dose vaccination gun.

[mikey]

Thursday, September 11, 2008Print This Page
Pigs in Pain: Castration Hurts
DENMARK - A piglet experiences pain when it is castrated and anaesthesia only solves part of the problem.



Does a male piglet experience pain when the testicles are removed during the castration process? And would any pain be reduced by the provision of, for example, a local anaesthetic?

The Danish Animal Welfare Council asked scientists at the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences at the University of Aarhus to find answers to these questions based on available scientific knowledge. The results have recently been published in a Danish report.



Castration is painful for the pig even when it is only a few days old.
(Photo: Janne Hansen)It does hurt, confirms senior scientist Mette S. Herskin from the Department of Animal Health, Welfare and Nutrition at the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences. She studies behaviour in animals in pain and has recently started working on a project involving tail docking of pigs.

It is possible, but very difficult to say anything specific about how much, for how long and where the pain is felt.

You cannot simply ask an animal if it hurts, and there is no single pain indicator – a ”golden standard” – neither in their behaviour nor physiologically that can be used as a direct and unequivocal measure of how much pain an animal is experiencing, she explains.
No easy pain indicator
There are substances in the blood that can assist as indicators, but there is no real ”pain hormone”. Besides that, pain and stress are very closely connected. It is the same areas in the brain that is activated and many pain reactions are the same as stress reactions. The pain experienced also depends on where in the body the pain is situated and the duration of the pain.

One way to differentiate between pain and stress arising from castration is by carrying out controlled studies. You can remove the pain by, for example, the provision of an anaesthetic. You can also catch and fixate the pig, just like for a real castration, but not actually castrate it. In both cases it is possible to separate pain responses and stress reactions.

There are rather few studies of pain in pigs despite the fact that they are frequently used in experiments and for pork production. It is mostly pets, horses and laboratory animals (as models for humans) that have been studied and you cannot necessarily transfer results from one animal species to another, says Mette Herskin.
Different kinds of pain
A very obvious reaction to castration is the pig’s squeal. Analyses of the frequencies of the squeal show that the squeal differs depending on whether the pig’ skin is being cut during surgery, the spermatic cords are being pulled, or they are being severed.

It can hurt the pig when the spermatic cords travelling to the testes are pulled, even if the pig is locally anaesthetized in the testicles, because the cords are attached further up in the abdominal region. It also hurts to be injected in the testicles in order to be anaesthetized and the anaesthetic does not have a full effect in all pigs, explains Mette Herskin.
Post-operative pain is also an issue. Even though there are only a few studies of pain in the period after castration, there are indications that the behaviour of the pigs is affected up to five days following the operation.

Effect of age
It was previously thought that it was best to castrate pigs at a young age, one of the reasons being that healing is faster. There are, however, no indications that newborn animals experience less pain. On the contrary, some experts are of the opinion that babies have an increased risk of heightened pain sensitivity following an operation due to changes in and damages to the nerve system

[mikey]

Thursday, September 11, 2008Print This Page
Import of Yorkshire Breeding Pigs to be Funded
CAMBODIA - A private company is set to import pigs from a breeder in Yorkshire, England, in a move that aims to improve agricultural production in Cambodia and for the satisfaction of increasing demand among consumers.



Mong Reththy, a Cambodian People's Party senator and co-chair of the Agricultural and Agro-Industry Working Group, said he will spend US$5 million to purchase and import the Yorkshire breeders.

"The only solution for meeting local demand for pork in the future is to import genuine breeders and distribute them to local pig raisers," said Mong Reththy, who heads the agribusiness company Mong Reththy Group.

The company is funding the purchase, Mong Reththy told a meeting of the Swine Business Forum on Wednesday.

"We will import 600 male and female breeders starting from December this year to February 2009," he said.

He added the breeding program would only be successful with the cooperation of local pig farmers.

The Swine Business Forum is sponsored by the Cambodia Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) project, a joint effort between the Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy and USAID that works with pig raisers to improve cooperation, production methods and health standards.


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"We want participants in the swine value chain to see that pigs are a worthwhile and profitable enterprise." 
Reed Aeschliman, director of general development for USAID
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Chris Hundley, chief of party for Cambodia MSME, said the project's educational efforts have produced dramatic results. "The pig mortality rate used to be about 50 percent prior to taking them to markets," he told the Post Wednesday.

"Farmers lacked the necessary technical skills. They did not know what medicines to use or how to take care of their stocks." The current mortality rate is below 10 percent, he said.

The Phnom Penh Post reports that Kao Phal, director of the Animal Health and Production Department of the Ministry of Agriculture, welcomed the announcement of the breeding program and said it was an important step towards greater sustainability.

"It will help us better develop the livestock sector and reduce our need for imports from other countries," Kao Phal told the Post.

"Cambodia currently needs about 7,000 pigs per day for domestic consumption, and Phnom Penh alone needs 1,600 per day," he said.

Kao Phal said Cambodia currently imports about 800 pigs each day from Thailand.

"We are cooperating with the private sector and USAID to find the best solution for a sustainable pork supply in Cambodia," he said.

"We want participants in the swine value chain to see that pigs are a worthwhile and profitable enterprise," said Reed Aeschliman, director of general development for USAID.

[mikey]

Thursday, September 11, 2008Print This Page
Fat Flies on Hong Kong's Pork Prices
HONG KONG - Hong Kong's pork sellers have ignored the decline in prices they pay wholesalers for the city's most popular meat as they continue to sting wet market shoppers.



Despite a fall in prices in the mainland - where Hong Kong gets all its fresh pork - housewives are being charged the same price as before.

And a snap poll of wet market pork sellers yesterday suggested they have little intention of dropping the price any time soon.

China's consumer price index fell for the fourth straight month - to 4.9 percent year on year in August from 6.3 percent in July - taking inflation in the mainland to its lowest point in 14 months.

The downward trend has led to speculation that the Hong Kong government may offer tax cuts and the loosening of credit controls. Consumer watchdogs said there is room for some price relief on pork.

But Hong Kong Polytechnic University associate professor Lau Pui-king said the market prices for food and oil will remain the same in the short term.

The average wholesale price for live pigs yesterday was HK$1,080 per 100 catties compared with HK$1,188 on August 10 and HK$1,252 on July 10, according to the Food and Health Bureau.

Pork Traders General Association of Hong Kong deputy chairman Hui Wai-kin said the average pork wholesale price is about HK$1,000 - and HK$1,200 for that of higher quality - about 0.8 percent lower than the wholesale price in July.

However, prices could go lower if the supply of live pigs stabilizes, he said.

A pork vendor surnamed Lau at the Bowrington Road Market in Causeway Bay said the highest wholesale price last year was about HK$2,400 per 100 catties with a retail price of HK$48 per catty compared with the current wholesale price of HK$1,300 and a retail price of between HK$38 and HK$40 a catty.

"I did not lower the price when the wholesale price dropped to about HK$1,200 a month earlier as I did not want my customers to be dubious about the frequent price fluctuation," Lau said.

A housewife surnamed Lo urged meat vendors to reduce prices by 10 percent.

A spokeswoman for the Consumer Council said there is space for a general price reduction. Vendors can consider selling more products at lower prices while citizens may switch to substitutes such as chilled pork, she said.

Beatrice Siu for The Standard reports that data released yesterday showed the year-on-year increase in the mainland's consumer price index dropped to 4.9 percent last month, far below February's near 12-year high of 8.7 percent.

[mikey]

Thursday, September 11, 2008Print This Page
Pigs with Swine Fever-Resistant Gene Cloned
CHINA - Three cloned piglets with a generesistant to swine fever virus, a fatal livestock disease, have been born in northeast China's Jilin Province, according to reports made by researchers.

The piglets, weighing 1,050 grams, 1,100 grams and 550 grams, were born Wednesday afternoon in a pig farm of the Agriculture Department, Jilin University.

Experts said the piglets were the first with the gene against swine fever in the world.

[mikey]

Monday, September 15, 2008Print This Page
Pork Prices Likely to Fluctuate
CHINA - China's pork market might undergo dramatic fluctuations next year because of a growing pig surplus, a senior agriculture official reported.



The comments by Wang Zhicai, the Ministry of Agriculture's livestock husbandry division director, came at a time when the tight pork supply is easing.

The country had weathered months of skyrocketing pork prices since the blue ear virus spread throughout the country's pig population last year.

"Factors that may affect stable pig production in the aftermath have become increasingly apparent," said Wang last week.

While the pig population's rapid increase might lead to surplus pork supplies, rising feedstuff costs might diminish the industry's profitability.

"Without the adoption of proper measures, this might lead to a new wave of market fluctuations," Wang said.

China's pork prices had almost doubled since last summer because of rising costs, shrinking supplies and blue ear's spread.

But the country's pig supply levels have rebounded through government subsidies, lowering pork prices.

Industry statistics show there were about 470 million pigs in the first half of the year, about a 10 percent increase over the same period of 2007.

Beijing-based market analyst Yi Mingqi believed the pork market would be saturated by the end of the year. Yi predicted prices would spike around Spring Festival before hitting a low point in the second season of 2009.

Pig farmers should decrease the numbers of female pigs ahead of time to prevent further price nosedives.

The Ministry of Agriculture recently said the pork price has been continuously dropping since January, and prices have declined 13 percent on average since then.

The current average price in major markets is about 20 yuan ($2.92) per kg, down about 3 yuan from January.

The ministry said pig farmers could currently make a profit of 160 yuan per 100 kg on average - less than half the 400 yuan they could earn at the peak season at the end of 2007.

China consumes an average of about 50 million tons of pork annually but only consumed 42 million tons last year due to the shortage.

The figure is expected to be 46 million this year.

[mikey]

Monday, September 15, 2008Print This Page
Berlin and China Strike Pork Products Deal
GERMANY - Germany’s pork industry has turned its attention to China which it hopes will accept pigs ears, feet and other pork parts - parts that are shunned in European markets.



Berlin has made a deal in China to open the demand for the products, which are expected to bring a good price, according to the Irish Sun.

Pig's tail soup or chopped ears and soy sauce are craved by Chinese connoisseurs and pork exporters from Germany have already delivered 70,000 tonnes of pig tails, offal and other morsels to Hong Kong.

German pork production is set to reach 4.6 million tonnes this year, 30 percent of which is intended for export.

[mikey]

Monday, September 15, 2008Print This Page
Zhongpin Receives Grant From Henan Government
CHINA - Zhongpin Inc., a leading meat and food processing company in the People's Republic of China ("PRC"), today announced that it has received a cash grant of RMB 1.65 million, or $241,086, from the government of Henan Province in recognition of the Company's contribution toward the advancement of meat processing technology.



Zhongpin is currently constructing a new production facility with annual capacity of 28,800 metric tons of prepared meat products at Zhongpin Industrial Park, located in Changge City, Henan Province.

The new plant will utilize automated state-of-the-art technology and advanced equipment that uses an industrialized production process capable of producing high quality meat products.

As a result of Zhongpin's contribution to technological advancement in the meat processing industry, the local government rewarded the Company with cash compensation of RMB 1.65 million, or $241,086.

"We are very pleased to receive this token of appreciation for our efforts in advancing the Chinese meat processing industry. Zhongpin strives to achieve production and quality standards on par with our international competitors.

Our new facility will produce high-end prepared meat products processed in a temperature-controlled environment that ensures high levels of hygiene and quality," commented Mr. Xianfu Zhu, CEO of Zhongpin Inc. "We will utilize our nationwide advanced cold chain logistics system to distribute these products throughout China.

Through the constant efforts of our R&D team and our marketing center in Shanghai, we plan to introduce new and innovative products targeted at middle and upper class consumers."

[mikey]

Monday, September 15, 2008Print This Page
How Can a Vaccine Control Boar Taint?
GLOBE - The boar taint vaccine Improvac® works by stimulating the pig’s immune system to produce antibodies which temporarily block the function of the testes.

 

This dramatically reduces the amount of testosterone and the boar taint compound androstenone, both of which are released by the testes. These testicular compounds also inhibit the breakdown of another key boar taint compound, skatole; so the vaccine also encourages the elimination of this component of taint. The overall result of vaccination is a reduction in taint levels equivalent to that achieved by physical castration.



Safety vaccinatorThe antigen (the active component) in the vaccine is a carrier protein linked to a small, synthetic molecule which is similar to a naturally occurring substance call GnRF (Gonadotrophin Releasing Factor), which controls the development and function of the testes in male pigs. When injected into male pigs the vaccine causes the immune system to produce antibodies to natural GnRF. Like many other vaccines, the first dose ‘primes’ the system and the second dose (a few weeks later) causes a significant surge in production of anti-GnRF antibodies. For as long as they are present, these antibodies effectively block the GnRF stimulation of the testes.

As well as controlling boar taint, the timing of vaccination, with the second dose only 4 to 6 weeks prior to slaughter, allows producers to obtain the benefit of efficient, boar-like growth for most of the fattening phase – something which is lost when piglets are physically castrated early in life.



Removing of the testes at the abattoirTiming also helps avoid the problems of aggressive and sexual activity that can occur with entire boars in the late finishing phase. As a consequence of the reduction in testosterone after the second vaccination, boars become easier to handle and less likely to injure each other.

The vaccine is not a hormone or drug and, like other vaccines used to prevent disease, has a zero day withdrawal time, reflecting the absence of residue or food safety concerns.

Consumer taste panels in a number of different countries have demonstrated that the quality of meat from pigs managed using the boar taint vaccine has the same high eating quality as meat from female pigs and males that have been physically castrated.

[mikey]

Monday, September 15, 2008Print This Page
Lessons that Record-High Hog Prices Teach
US - The week of Aug. 16 saw hog prices set a record high at just over $90.43. It eclipsed a 17-year mark set after the pork industry’s dramatic consolidation and restructuring of the 1980s and the launch of the “Other White Meat” campaign, writes Troy Marshall.



The pork industry’s last 17 years are similar to what we’ve seen in the packing and feeding industries – concentration and increased economies of scale, along with new technology and improved genetics, which led to higher levels of efficiency. That efficiency and its resulting cost reductions enabled producers to both accept lower margins and maintain margin levels despite overall inflationary pressures and increasing supplies.

This new record-price level for hogs in 2008 is unique in that it was set without a reduction in supply (pork production is up nearly 9% on the year). The driver in hog prices has been demand, not domestically but via exports, the same as in the beef industry.

Two weeks ago, a near-record drop in hog prices was seen, the result of slumping exports and not really reflective of either domestic demand or supplies, reports BEEF Magazine. Thus, the hog market is once again validating the theory that domestic supply and demand are now secondary items in predicting price levels for our products. The two primary factors needed to determine long-term pricing levels are now global and political in nature. Export demand, market access and global supplies, coupled with political initiatives (e.g., ethanol), have become the drivers.

Understanding the ramifications of Russia's recent aggression toward Georgia and its likely impact on market access, discerning the differences in farm policy, changing attitudes toward free trade and energy policy depending on whether Obama or McCain is coupled with a strengthened Democratic majority in Congress, are the factors that will have the most impact on livestock prices and profitability.

Even key metrics regarding consumers are shifting. A decade ago, the main concerns in the US were eating quality, consistency, uniformity and relative price relationships between competing meats or alternative sources of protein. It’s not that issues such as aggregate domestic supply and demand figures are irrelevant; it’s that success in addressing these issues has moved them well down the priority list.

The branded revolution, along with industry initiatives, has removed some of these concerns about US products. It has, thus, allowed consumers to begin to differentiate products on other issues, such as whether the product is locally grown, natural, organic, humanely treated, traceable or perceived to be environmentally and nutritionally positive. It's been found that consumers will afford what it is that they want, and the real driver is in the country's ability to identify and respond to those consumer desires.

[mikey]

Friday, September 26, 2008Print This Page
China Should Control Imports of Parts
CHINA - China should curb imports of pig parts as domestic supplies can almost satisfy demand, and continued importation could lead to a market surplus, says an industry expert.



"Chinese regulations now allow imports of live hogs and pig parts from the United States, Canada, Denmark, the Republic of Ireland and France, and may shortly reopen its doors to imports from Germany. However, these countries usually export pig heads, tails, trotters and intestines to China because they do not consume such meat in the same quantities," says Ms Hu, an expert from the Sichuan Pork Import & Export Chamber of Commerce, according to official sources.

"China should control the quantity of imported pig parts, although import levels are not very high at present," she added.

State-owned Xinhua news agency reported that China will remove the ban on German imports of live hogs and pig parts in the near future after German Agriculture Vice Minister Gerd Mueller signed an agreement with Wei Chuanzhong, Vice-Director of China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine.

"China's imports of meat will rise this year, although the country will remain a net exporter of pork. In addition, some higher quality meat or processed meat will be introduced to the domestic market, but cheap pig parts are not welcome in China," said Yao Minpu, vice-chairman of the China Animal Agriculture Association.

[mikey]

Friday, September 26, 2008Print This Page
Minimum 45,000 Sows Needed for Sustainable Future
SCOTLAND - A strategic review of the Scottish pig industry has reported that a herd size of 45,000 sows is the minimum level required if the sector is to have a profitable and sustainable future.



Sow numbers in Scotland are currently around the 38,500 mark and on a downward trend. The industry has been badly affected by rapid global increases in grain prices and the residual impact of trading restraints from the Foot and Mouth disease outbreak in England last year.

The wide ranging report has been coordinated by red meat promotion and development body Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) as part of a series of initiatives commissioned and funded by the Scottish Government to support Scottish red meat businesses.

Twelve recommendations have been made aimed at creating a sustainable and market orientated industry in Scotland, including:



Public funding for Task Force initiatives that can help the pig sector withstand short term challenges and achieve longer term profitability
Include the pig sector in existing knowledge transfer initiatives such as the Monitor Farm network
Increased public funding to support new product and market development by the processing sector
Increased grant aid to help the industry meet rising costs for stringent regulatory controls such as NVZs prescriptions
QMS Chairman Donald Biggar said, "The report sends out a stark message that a bare minimum of 45,000 sows is what's required if Scotland is to have any chance of retaining a meaningful pig industry. To spell out the size of the challenge, sow numbers are currently under 40,000 and continuing to drop.

"Five key areas have been addressed in the review – economics, processing facilities, health status, environment and farm performance. Twelve steps have been identified to help stem the decline and get the industry back on a better financial footing.

"We look forward to joining forces with the pig industry in Scotland and the Scottish Government so that we can work together to secure short term stability while investing in measures that can offer long term profitability."

Richard Lochhead, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment said, "The Scottish Government is very aware of the difficult situation faced by the pig sector. We are actively working with the industry, including major new player Vion, to decide how to use most effectively the unallocated £700,000 from the package of support I announced for the pig sector last month.

"This Government-funded report will be an important contribution to those ongoing discussions and, along with other actions taken by us, will help deliver sustainable, economic growth in the industry for years to come."

[mikey]

Friday, September 26, 2008Print This Page
German Pig Sector Stays Buoyant
GERMANY - Germany expects its pig-keepers to have produced half a pig per sow more during 2008.


If this is the case, it will partially offset the five per cent fall in the national breeding herd in the first half of the year.

An average price of about 133p is being talked about for next year, with some pundits predicting the price reaching around 158p.

However, as in Britain, earlier forecasts of a bonanza year are being tempered by recent developments in the financial world and there are fears retailer and consumer resistance will prevent the pig price reaching its full potential.

Despite the five percent fall in the sow herd, slaughterings are currently running at a higher level than last year, mostly as a result of increasing numbers of Danish producers sending their pigs to Germany. Home production now accounts for only 80 per cent of Germany's total kill.

Again as in Britain, consumption in Germany is down due to higher retail prices, coupled with a weaker economy. However Germany's pig sector remains healthy, with exports up 30 per cent in the first half of the year and expected to be up by 15-20 per cent for the whole year.

With continued high levels of piglets from Denmark and Holland in 2009, it is likely slaughterings will stay higher than might otherwise be expected. At an average 133p next year, and with lower feed costs, Germany's producers can expect a profitable year.