World Hog news:

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Polish Live Pig Exports Doing Better in 2009
POLAND - Polish exports of live pigs were at a relatively high level in the first half of 2009, being 8 per cent higher year-on-year at EUR29.7 million.



A breakdown of the overall export figure reveals exports to the European Union fell substantially year-on-year in the January to June period, but exports to other central and eastern European countries rose substantially year-on-year. In dollar terms, Polish live pig exports fell by 6.2 per cent year-on-year in first half of 2009, according to Poland's Central Statistics Office.

WattAgNet.com reports that Polish live pig imports approximately doubled year-on-year to EUR52.8 million in the first half of 2009, with imports also showing a substantial year-on-year increase in dollar terms.

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H1N1 Flu Outbreak Unlikely to Deter Pig Buyers
AUSTRALIA - The organiser of Queensland's largest liveweight pig sale says he doesn't expect the latest outbreak of the A/H1N1 flu to worry buyers.



An unnamed piggery on the Darling Downs was placed under quarantine yesterday after some pigs returned positive results for the disease, reports ABC.

It's the second outbreak at a Queensland piggery this year. The first was at Dalby in August.

Organiser Errol Luck says he doesn't expect there'll be any effect on the weekly Toowoomba pig sales.

"Right at the beginning, when it first broke out it, it made sales fairly soft in Sydney, and in that area down round there, but it had very little effect on anything in Queensland," he says.

"I don't think there's any problem at all."

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Russia Lifts A/H1N1-Related Pork Ban
RUSSIA - Russia is lifting all its AH1N1-related import restrictions on pork products as the disease is already spreading in Russia anyway.


Following the outbreak of new variant flu in Mexico, Russia imposed restrictions on imports of all the meat and meat products from countries with a high prevalence of the new virus such as Mexico, the United States, the Caribbean countries, Canada, Spain and the United Kingdom.

In May, the European Commission sent a letter to the Russian authorities, challenging the ban. There is no possible risk of spread of the virus through meat, pointed out the Commission.

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EU Finished Pig Supplies Likely to Fall in 2009
EU - The results of the latest EU pigmeat working group suggest that for the full year 2009, finished pig supplies will fall by almost three per cent to 248.8 million head.





Picture: EU Pig Forecasting Working Group
Looking ahead to the first half of next year, supplies and gross production are expected to be relatively similar to 2009 levels at 123.9 million head and 11.05 million tonnes, respectively. The move to increased live exports from key producers such as Denmark and the Netherlands continues with the trade to Germany expected to rise by almost 10 per cent in 2010.

With no change in carcase weights, Denmark is expected to increase supplies and gross production by two per cent to 21.2 million head in 2009. However, due to environmental regulations, Danish producers have adapted their system of production by exporting more live piglets, this is not expected to change for the foreseeable future.

In the Netherlands, both production and supplies are expected to increase by one per cent in 2009. Dutch sow numbers are increasing with a rise of one per cent recorded this year with a similar increase anticipated for 2010.

In Spain for 2009, a two per cent fall in finished pig supplies this year will result in similar fall in production at 3.4 million tonnes. Lower production is also anticipated in France with a 1 per cent decline forecast to 2.25 million tonnes.

German imports of piglet are forecast to rise by nine per cent to 16 million head in 2010 as the German breeding herd declines. Consequently, supplies are anticipated to increase by one per cent to 57.7 million head next year.

However, Poland is forecasting an 11 per cent fall in production in 2009 to 1.7 million tonnes. This is partly due to Russia importing a greater number of finishing pigs from Poland.

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Top DPRK Leader Calls for Large-scale Raising of Pigs
NORTH KOREA - Kim Jong Il, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), called on all the sectors and units of the country to raise more pigs, the official Rodong Sinmun daily said on Friday.



Mr Kim made such instructions while inspecting newly-built pig farms. He said it was of great importance to radically increasing the pork production to improve people's living.

He was satisfied that the farms were built on scientific basis through a vigorous technical innovation movement, and the economical way the farms operated as using excretion of domestic animals to produce organic composite fertilizers.

The newspaper didn't disclose the date and place of the inspections.

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EU Pig Meat Production Cost Report
EU - The latest in a series of annual reports examining the relative costs of pig meat production up to farmgate level in selected EU countries will be available shortly.

 

Pig Cost of Production in Selected Countries points out that 2008 marked the return to profitability of the European pig sector. The British pig industry also benefited from a substantial fall in the sterling exchange rate, which had two positive effects: it led to an improvement in the relative competitiveness of Great Britain pig production and it boosted pig prices through its impact on import and export levels.

Some of the key points in this report:

The cost of pig meat production in Great Britain production increased by 12 per cent in 2008, to 136.8p/kg. The average cost of production in the EU was 135.9p/kg dw, up 24 per cent. Production costs in Great Britain were therefore much closer to the EU average than in previous years, when we had been one of the highest-cost countries.
The improvement in the relative cost of production in Great Britain was in part due to improved physical performance, but it was mainly due to the lower exchange rate.
In 2008 as a whole, EU feed costs increased by 34 per cent compared with a year earlier, in sterling terms, although they were just 18 per cent higher in Euro terms. The cost increase (in sterling) was 25 per cent in Great Britain.
The average number of pigs finished/sow in Great Britain increased for the fifth consecutive year in 2008. At 20.9 pigs/sow, average performance was 0.7 pigs (4 per cent) higher than in 2007 and 2.0 pigs (11 per cent) higher than in 2004. This was the highest annual improvement recorded for at least 15 years.

 

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Viet Nam Pushes to Reform Meat Processing Industry
VIET NAM - The Vietnamese government is pushing to reform and modernise its meat processing industry.


 

The push to build more modern slaughter houses, offer investment incentives to private operators, and impose tough laws and standards indicates growing demand for modern meat processing technology. ILDEX Vietnam 2010 is expanding its meat-processing profile to satisfy this demand.

NCC Exhibition Organizer Co., Ltd. disclosed that a recent report by VEAS reveals an encouraging development in Viet Nam’s meat processing industry. Due to growing concern over food safety along with a rising demand for hygiene, the Vietnamese government is pushing to reform and modernise its meat processing industry.

Ladda Mongkolchaivivat, General Manager, NCC Exhibition Organizer Co., Ltd. (NEO) the organizer of ILDEX Viet Nam 2010 said, “According to the report, in 2009 there are 17,388 slaughter houses in Vietnam, of which 626 are operated by the government. Less than half of these slaughter houses -- especially small and medium sized slaughter houses -- have been operated with proper operation licenses; only 35% have met food hygiene standards. The Vietnamese government knows changes must be made.”

“The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) will speed up plans to build 7 modern slaughtering centers throughout Vietnam by 2010. In the past, the private sector hesitated to invest in modern equipment because of high costs and low profit potential. So the government has also launched financial privileges and investment incentive programs to encourage the private sector to invest in modern meat processing technology and to upgrade existing facilities. This will be in tandem with new legislation to enforce industry-wide standards," she continued.

“These moves indicate a positive outlook for the meat processing industry here in Vietnam. In order to facilitate the Vietnamese meat processing industry in having access to modern technology, we have expanded our profile now to cover the meat processing sector at ILDEX Viet Nam 2010. This should provide a full range of meat processing technology. We have recently been in discussion with world leaders to bring in and showcase meat processing technology at ILDEX Vietnam 2010 in order to satisfy the needs of the Viet Nam meat processing industry. Due to an overwhelming positive response, we are optimistic that ILDEX Vietnam 2010 will be one of the most comprehensive meat processing technology showcases for the Vietnamese market,” said Ms Mongkolchaivivat.

“On the other hand ILDEX Viet Nam 2010 offers excellent opportunity to showcase meat processing technology to handle rising demand in the Vietnamese meat processing industry. In addition to exhibition, newcomers who want to penetrate into this lucrative market can take advantage of our trademark MEET & MATCH service to ensure successful participation,” she added.

ILDEX Viet Nam 2010, the 3rd International Livestock, Dairy, Meat processing, and Aquaculture Exhibition will happen between 25th to 27th March 2010, at the New Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC), Phu My Hung, HCMC in Vietnam. The show is organized by N.C.C. Exhibition Organizer Co. Ltd., (a.k.a. ‘NEO’) in cooperation with VNU Exhibitions Europe, and Minh Vi Exhibition and Advertising Services (VEAS), its local organizer.

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Wednesday, October 28, 2009Print This Page
Japan Lifts H1N1 Voluntary Movement Restraint
JAPAN - On 21 October, the Japanese authorities had reported finding the H1N1 flu virus in pooled samples from pigs. The affected farm was placed under voluntary movement restraint.



The country's veterinary authorities sent Follow-up report No.1 to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) yesterday, 27 October. No new outbreaks have been reported.

The source of the infection is inconclusive as no workers in the farm contracted any influenza-like illness during at least two months prior to this incident.

No clinical abnormalities were observed in all the pigs in the infected farm through surveillance conducted by the prefectural veterinary authority on 22 October 2009.

A total of 102 nasal swabs were collected from all 42 pigs kept in the same pen as the ten infected pigs that were tested earlier, 20 pigs in the same house and other 40 pigs in the same premises. The samples were submitted for PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test for influenza A subtype H1. All results were found to be negative.

The voluntary movement restraint imposed by the OIE was lifted on 23 October 2009.

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Czech Meat Production Down in Q3 of 2009
CZECH REPUBLIC - A decrease in the country's meat production and milk collection has been noted in the third quarter of 2009.



Meat production and milk collection decreased by 6.9 per cent and 2.8 per cent respectively. 138,488 tonnes of meat in carcass weight was produced in total. This amount includes 49.7 per cent of pig meat, 13.4 per cent of beef, including veal and 36.9 per cent of poultry meat.

Slaughter and meat production
In the third quarter of 2009, the number of cattle slaughtered, including calves, decreased by 4.2 per cent. The number of bulls slaughtered went down by 16.5 per cent while the number of cows and heifers slaughtered increased by 7.2 per cent and 7.0 per cent respectively.

The number of pigs slaughtered went down by 11.4 per cent year-on-year, while the average carcass weight increased by 0.7 per cent to 87.2 kg. Production of pig meat declined by 10.7 per cent.

Poultry meat production dropped by 1.4 per cent.

Cattle, pig and poultry rearing output
According to the livestock outputs, cattle numbers increased by 0.7 per cent to 1,424 thousand heads during 30 June 2009. Cow numbers went up by 2.4 per cent to 578 thousand heads, of which dairy cows dropped by 0.7 per cent to 401 thousand heads. On the contrary number of suckler cows rose by 10.2 per cent to 177 thousand heads.

Pig numbers fell by 9.4 per cent to 2,130 thousand heads, of which sow and gilt numbers dropped by 16.0 per cent to 139 thousand heads and 14.9 per cent to 56 thousand heads, respectively according 1 August figures.

Poultry numbers, on the other hand, went up by 2.1 per cent to 26 million heads according to figures from 30 June 2009.

Agricultural producers’ prices of cattle, pigs and chicken for slaughter
Agricultural producers’ prices of cattle for slaughter increased for bulls and calves year-on-year by 1.3 per cent and 6.4 per cent respectively. On the other hand, prices of heifers and cows for slaughter decreased by 3.8 per cent and 3.1 per cent, respectively. In the third quarter of 2009, the average price of bulls for slaughter in S, E, U-quality reached CZK 39.56 per kilogram in live weight and CZK 74.52 per kilogram in carcass weight.

Producer prices of slaughter pigs dropped by 3.4 per cent. Average price of pigs for slaughter in S, E, U-quality totalled CZK 31.53 per kilogram in live weight and CZK 40.84 per kilogram in carcass weight.

Prices of agricultural producers of chicken for slaughter in the 1st-quality category decreased by 9.6 per cent year-on-year and amounted to CZK 20.68 per kilogram in live weight.

Foreign trade in meat and livestock
According to preliminary outputs, foreign trade in meat ended in a passive trade balance for beef, pig meat and poultry meat in the period from the 1 June 2009 to the 31 August 2009 (by 3,487 tonnes, by 35,870 tonnes and 11,345 tonnes, respectively).

Beef imports went up by 13.4 per cent (561 tonnes), while exports decreased by 7.8 per cent (106 tonnes). Beef was imported predominantly from Poland (44 per cent) and to a lesser extent, from Germany (20 per cent), Austria (12 per cent) and Ireland (10 per cent).

Imports of pig meat went up by 19.3 per cent (7,216 tonnes) and exports increased by 3.3 per cent (281 tonnes) year-on-year. Almost half of imported pig meat came from Germany (45 per cent), a lesser amount was imported from Austria (10 per cent), Spain (9 per cent) and Poland (9 per cent). A large majority of exports went to Slovakia (90 per cent).

Imports of poultry meat went up by 22.1 per cent (3,172 tonnes) and exports increased by 7.3 per cent (by 420 tonnes). Poultry meat was imported largely from Poland (43 per cent) and to a lesser degree, from Brazil (19 per cent), Slovakia (12 per cent) and France (7 per cent). Meat was exported predominantly to Slovakia (36 per cent), and a lesser amount to Germany (18 per cent) and Hungary (17 per cent).

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Study: Cloned Pigs on a Human Diet
DENMARK - It is not humans eating like pigs, but rather, pigs eating like humans that form the basis for a research project on obesity at the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Aarhus University.





Even pigs that have been bred for their leanness for generations can acquire double chins and spare tyres when they are allowed to eat as much as they like.
Photo: Janne HansenThe voracious pigs taking part in a study at the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Aarhus University, are all pretty well bolstered. The pigs’ ad-lib feeding regime, which has resulted in double chins and blubbery potbellies, is part of a project that aims to study the mechanisms behind obesity in humans.

It is not possible to clone and use humans for an experiment that requires genetically identical twins eating as much as they can to get as fat as possible, so the first step of the project involved finding suitable test animals. The Faculty of Agricultural Sciences at Aarhus University is the perfect place for such studies, as the faculty has spent years refining the technique on pig cloning.

Cloned pigs are genetically exact copies of each other. They should therefore be particularly suited for experiments, since natural genetic variation can be ruled out as a confounding factor and effects of particular diets should become more obvious

Although the scientists at the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences are getting better at cloning pigs, the technique is, however, not always successful. Pig cloning is still in its infancy and the cloning procedure does not always produce viable offspring. Thus, while the project on obesity runs from 2007 to 2012, it did not start in earnest until this year because of a shortage of suitable, cloned pigs.

"We were too optimistic. We had hoped to produce 120 pigs for the experiment, but we will probably end up with about 30," says senior scientist Jan Stagsted from the Department of Food Science, who leads the project.

Cloned pigs are not 100 per cent identical
While the number of pigs produced was disappointing, there has nevertheless been an exciting discovery. Despite the cloned pigs being “photocopies” of each other and having precisely the same genetic make-up, it turns out that they are not completely identical after all.

"The variations between the cloned pigs are probably due to so-called epigenetic mechanisms, that determine whether a gene is expressed or not," explains Dr Stagsted.

The project has hitherto had fewer and more variable pigs than expected, but the pigs are nevertheless good models for research into human nutrition, as their digestive and hormonal systems closely resemble those of humans.

The next step in the project is to determine what happens in the body, genes and proteins in the cloned and normal pigs when they are fed different diets. The experiment uses nutriomics – that is to say techniques where you study the interaction between nutrition, metabolism and genetics, seen from a holistic viewpoint.

Some of the pigs in the experiment are genetically disposed for leanness (traditional Danish crossings between Landrace and Yorkshire), while some of the pigs are disposed for excessive body fat deposition (dark brown pigs from Yucatan in Mexico).

The test pigs have been given free access to feed with a high sugar and fat content and different beneficial microorganisms so that the scientists can investigate the physiological mechanisms behind fat deposition.

Obesity affects the body
Scientists are also interested in studying the effect of feeding on nutrition-related problems associated with obesity, such as atherosclerosis, high blood pressure, and inflammation to see if the different physiological mechanisms are linked.

"Earlier experiments on mice have, for example, shown that there are links between the intestinal microflora and the development of obesity. With extreme obesity there is an increased inflammatory reaction in the body, which implies communication between the immune systems and the mechanisms behind lifestyle diseases," Dr Stagsted explains.

The five-year nutriomics project is carried out in collaboration with several departments at DJF in addition to KU Life, the Danish Institute for Food and Veterinary Research at DTU and Arla Foods. The project is financed by the Programme Commission for Health, Food and Welfare under the Research Council for Strategic Research.

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Pork CRC Looks to Make Pork Even Healthier
Pork may be a way to boost the intake of thiamine, selenium and iron in humans, according to research published in the Annual Report 08-09 from Australia's Pork CRC.


As part of Pork CRC Program 3, Enhancing capacity to deliver nutrients promoting health and well-being through pork, two projects were completed during the reporting period and summaries were published in the annual report.

Benefits of Pork for People with Type 2 Diabetes

The role of Australian pork in improving the thiamine status, heart disease risk factors and glucose control in people with type 2 diabetes was the topic of study of Project 3A-101.

The rising prevalence of obesity and type 2 diabetes has increased interest in the use of higher protein, lower carbohydrate diets for weight and diabetes management. The Pork CRC study showed that a higher intake of lean pork as part of a high protein plan lifestyle programme, when combined with resistance exercise training, may provide advantages for weight loss and improvements in body composition in overweight and obese patients with type 2 diabetes.

Participants on the high protein and resistance exercise treatment had the greater reduction in body weight, fat mass and waist circumference than those on a high carbohydrate, high protein or high carbohydrate and resistance exercise treatments.

The results of this study suggest that a lifestyle programme that includes pork may offer additional nutritional advantages for promoting thiamine status over a high carbohydrate diet and that lean pork is a valuable alternative source of protein for weight management for patients with type 2 diabetes.

The results (Figure 1) also showed that the diet including pork which is considerably higher in thiamine than other meats, overcame the weight loss related decline in thiamine status exhibited by participants on the carbohydrate diet (P<0.05). Type 2 diabetics tend have lower blood thiamine levels and it is thought this is linked to markers of vascular disease.



Figure 1. Effects of diets based on carbohydrates or lean pork on the whole blood thiamine pyrophosphate (nmol/litre) of type 2 diabetics following a 16-week diet and exercise intervention programme
Increasing Selenium and Iron Intake through Pork
Project 3A-102 from Pork CRC investigated nutritional strategies to increase the selenium and iron content in pork and promote human health

This project demonstrated that dietary selenium supplementation to pigs increased the Se content in pork muscle in a linear manner compared with pigs fed either the control or non-selenium enriched diets. Although organic iron supplementation did not increase the iron content of pork in this study, differences between gilts and boars were found. This is being further explored, together with inulin supplementation, in project 3A-108 and was due for completion in August 2009. Importantly, neither selenium nor iron supplementation were found to affect growth performance of pigs, carcass characteristics or meat quality.

When included in diets fed to rats, the bioavailability and efficacy of selenium was greater in rats fed selenium-enriched pork than those fed control or normal pork diets. This was demonstrated by a reduction in the number of putative pre-neoplastic lesions in colon tissues of rats induced with azoxymethane fed the selenium-enriched pork diet compared with those fed the control and non-selenium enriched pork diets (Figure 2). The protective effect of selenium-enriched pork against pre-neoplastic lesions in colon tissues might have been due to a significant increase in blood and tissue selenium concentrations, providing greater protection against oxidative DNA damage.



Figure 2. Aberrant crypt foci (ACF) development in Sprague Dawley rats induced with azoxymethane compound
The three ongoing projects addressing the potential health benefits offered by the high protein: energy ratio of pork and its low fat content on cardio-metabolic health and weight loss (Projects 3A 104), the effects of high protein content of pork on satiety and reduced energy consumption (Project 3A 105) and the role of iron from pork on the health and well being of young women (Project 3A106) will be completed in 2009–10.

All projects are co-funded by the Pork CRC and Australian Pork Ltd (APL) and the outcomes will be 'commercialised' in conjunction with APL's marketing team.

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First Draft: Researchers Sequence Swine Genome
GLOBAL - A global collaborative has produced a first draft of the genome of a domesticated pig, an achievement that will lead to insights in agriculture, medicine, conservation and evolution.

Lawrence B. Schook, right, a professor of biomedical sciences at Illinois, with animal sciences professor Jonathan Beever. Schook, who is also an affiliate of the Institute for Genomic Biology at Illinois, led the international pig genome sequencing project, which has produced a draft of the pig genome.
[Photo by L. Brian Stauffer, U of I News Bureau.]A red-haired Duroc pig from a farm at the University of Illinois will now be among the growing list of domesticated animals that have had their genomes sequenced. Researchers will announce the achievement today (2 November) at a meeting at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in Hinxton, England.

"The pig is a unique animal that is important for food and that is used as an animal model for human disease," said Larry Schook, a University of Illinois professor of biomedical sciences and leader of the sequencing project. "And because the native wild animals are still in existence, it is a really exciting animal to look at to learn about the genomic effects of domestication," he said.

The Duroc is one of five major breeds used in pork production around the world and is one of about 200 breeds of domesticated pigs. There are also numerous varieties of wild boar, the non-domesticated pigs that are believed to have originated in Eurasia.

The sequencing project involved an international team of scientists and genome-sequencing centers. The USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, formerly the Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service, provided $10 million in initial funding, requiring that this be the only pig genome-sequencing project in the world, that it be a public-private partnership and a global collaborative effort, with significant financial or in-kind support from the other participating agencies and stakeholders.

The effort cost about $24.3 million, with additional support from the USDA Agricultural Research Service and many other American, Asian and European funders. Another requirement of participation was that the findings be made public, with no proprietary interests allowed.

The draft sequence, which is about 98 per cent complete, will allow researchers to pinpoint genes that are useful to pork production or are involved in immunity or other important physiological processes in the pig. It will enhance breeding practices, offer insight into diseases that afflict pigs (and, sometimes, also humans) and will assist in efforts to preserve the global heritage of rare, endangered and wild pigs. It also will be important for the study of human health because pigs are very similar to humans in their physiology, behavior and nutritional needs.

"We are excited to have the swine genome sequence and anticipate this will accelerate the rate of genetic improvement in swine as the bovine sequence is impacting the dairy industry's genetic gains," said Steve Kappes, deputy administrator of Animal Production and Protection for the USDA Agricultural Research Service.

"This is a great day for the pig research community," said professor Alan Archibald, of the Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS at the University of Edinburgh. "When we launched the international pig gene mapping project almost 20 years ago, few if any of us thought a pig genome sequence was attainable or affordable."

The pig genome sequence is an essential first tool that will allow scientists to delve into the health, science and natural history of the pig, Schook said.

"This is just the end of the beginning of the process," he said. "Now we're just beginning to be able to answer a lot of questions about the pig."

"We are delighted to have contributed to this important collaboration," said professor Allan Bradley, the director of the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, which performed most of the sequencing. "This sequence provides a tool of real value in helping the research community to better understand human diseases, in particular by facilitating cardiovascular, pulmonary, gastrointestinal and immunological studies. Thanks to the immediate release of sequence data as it has been produced, the scientific impact of this research is already being felt."

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Boycott of Non-free Range Pork Urged
NEW ZEALAND - Earlier this year, New Zealand witnessed one of the greatest marketing disasters in history. Mike King, the Kiwi bloke who makes people laugh for a living, had been fronting a high-profile campaign to get people to eat more New Zealand pork.



But when he discovered the conditions some pork was being farmed in, he changed his tune.

Pork's poster boy became a whistle blower, taking many consumers on the same voyage of discovery he had been on.

So, six months on, what's changed? Are those pigs out of their sow crates? Can you eat your bacon with a clear conscience?

Animal welfare campaigners SAFE, the people behind Mr King's conversion, say no. Both they, and Mr King himself, are calling for a consumer boycott of all pork that isn't free range.

They have even made a TV ad, although it is very different from the TV ads he used to make, says 3News.co.nz.

Campbell Live speaks to Mike King and CEO of the Pork Industry Board, Sam McIvor.

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, November 03, 2009Print This Page
Finnish Pork Producers Worried by H1N1 Flu
FINLAND - Some Finnish pork farmers have concerns about delays in the availability of H1N1 flu virus vaccines - not just for themselves, but because of worries that their animals could be infected by humans.



Last spring, a case was confirmed in Canada where the H1N1 flu virus was passed from a human being to a pig. Since then, there have been two similar cases reported in Norway, reports YLE.fi.

Research Professor Petri Ruutu of the National Institute for Health and Welfare says that the authorities in Finland have been aware of the cases in those two countries.

Concerning inocculation of pork farm workers, Professor Ruutu says that it must be kept in mind that establishing priorities for the vaccination programme required some tough decisions. The order in which different groups are being vaccinated is the result of cooperation among experts in a wide range of different fields.

"Restructuring priorities would be an unweildy process," says Professor Ruutu.

Influenza is basically a zoonosis, a communicable disease passed between animals and humans. However, that does not necessarily mean that all forms of influenza are easily passed from humans to animals.

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Tuesday, November 03, 2009Print This Page
EU Pig Prices: Inconsistency Throughout Europe
EU - This week, inconsistent trends are prevailing on the European slaughter pig market.

 

While the prices remain on an unchanged level in six countries (with Germany and the Netherlands among them) the Danish price went down and the Belgian quotation went up.

The Dutch quotation once again followed Germany’s, with an unchanged pigs-mature-for-slaughter price also being reported on. Quantities of pigs for slaughter are still decreasing in Germany, thus relieving the market. Compared to last week, the prices in Spain, France, Austria and Sweden remained unchanged. Yet, Sweden’s corrected quotation fell a little as a result of changes in currency exchange rates.

Trend: It is true that no increase of slaughter pig prices could be enforced last Friday in Germany. Yet, the slaughter companies are still in search of pigs for slaughter in order to have their slaughter capacities better utilised. The quantities of pigs mature for slaughter decreasing, the farmers hope for payout prices to go up until the end of this week.

Week D NL DK B F PL CZ IT ESP AUT GB SWE IR
38 Week 1,416 € 1,386 € 1,377 € 1,353 € 1,375 € 1,451 € 1,585 € 1,595 € 1,499 € 1,430 € 1,521 € 1,391 € 1,329 €
39 Week 1,366 € 1,357 € 1,350 € 1,304 € 1,318 € 1,467 € 1,568 € 1,544 € 1,461 € 1,360 € 1,493 € 1,405 € 1,291 €
40 Week 1,366 € 1,338 € 1,323 € 1,304 € 1,282 € 1,375 € 1,497 € 1,544 € 1,402 € 1,360 € 1,447 € 1,399 € 1,291 €
41 Week 1,366 € 1,319 € 1,295 € 1,279 € 1,269 € 1,376 € 1,485 € 1,544 € 1,392 € 1,330 € 1,418 € 1,386 € 1,291 €
42 Week 1,296 € 1,289 € 1,268 € 1,242 € 1,216 € 1,265 € 1,440 € 1,544 € 1,319 € 1,290 € 1,383 € 1,382 € 1,253 €
43 Week 1,296 € 1,251 € 1,242 € 1,230 € 1,181 € 1,312 € 1,414 € 1,519 € 1,303 € 1,290 € 1,354 € 1,343 € 1,253 €
44 Week 1,246 € 1,241 € 1,242 € 1,193 € 1,176 € 1,301 €   1,519 € 1,284 € 1,250 € 1,346 € 1,344 € 1,253 €
45 Week 1,246 € 1,241 € 1,215 € 1,205 € 1,175 €     1,519 € 1,284 € 1,250 € 1,349 € 1,324 € 1,214 €