China battles pork meat laced with a poisonous drug 27 Jan 2011
There have been reports of consumers in China becoming ill and ending up hospitalised with stomach pains and heart palpitations after consuming pork laced with Clenbuterol.

Clenbuterol, in China is also known as "lean meat powder," and is banned in the country. However, animal feed is sometimes mixed with this dangerous drug because some farmers want to profit on the market – as it is used in animal feed because it can decrease a pig's body fat to a thin layer, which makes the meat appear leaner and while it also makes skin pinker – making the meat look fresher for a longer period.
 
Clenbuterol-treated pork requested from pig farmers
Because of the effects on pork meat, it has made some Chinese meat suppliers request Clenbuterol-treated pork from pig farmers. With using Clenbuterol fat burning and muscle growth happens rapidly, which is why some see it as an ideal a feed additive. Though there have been reports in China of the drug entering the food supply, exactly how much food tainted with this drug is not known currently – the Chinese government will not state how many cases of contaminated meat or related illness occur annually.
 
Pork meat mostly affected
It seems that tainted pork is a major concern in the country as Clenbuterol-tainted pork is considered to be one of China's largest food threats as reports have mostly involved this meat.
 
"It's really a big problem in China," said Pan Chenjun, a senior industry analyst with Rabobank. "It's not reported frequently so people sometimes think it's not a big issue but actually it's quite widespread."
 
Despite strict Chinese laws against "Clenbuterol" which carry a prison term for offenders who produce or sell tainted food products, there are often cases where a fine or a bribe can get the offender out of a tight spot.
 
Clenbuterol – quick info:
Clenbuterol is approved for use in some countries via presciption as a bronchodilator for asthma patients.
In instances is has also been used as a performance-enhancing drug in sports – with cases where athletes have been suspended from respective sports.
In some parts of the world Clenbuterol is used for the treatment of allergic respiratory disease in horses.
In September 2006 more than 330 people in Shanghai were reported to have been poisoned by eating pork contaminated by Clenbuterol that had been fed to the animals to keep their meat lean – as it increases the rate at which body fat is metabolised.
 
 
 
Source: washingtonpost.com

Farm Incomes to be 'Slashed' in Downturn
UK - Huge hikes in animal feed bills are driving the dramatic downturn in the incomes being forecast for England’s farmers according to the NFU, as Defra’s Farm Business Income Forecasts for 2010/11 were published.

According to the figures:

Dairy farmers are expected to see a 24 per cent fall in incomes
Grazing livestock farms look set to see farm incomes decrease, compared to the previous two years, with a massive 48 per cent drop predicted for lowland grazing units
Although sustained sheep prices are currently cushioning the drop for livestock producers in less favoured areas, farm incomes are still forecast to fall by a third
Poultry farmers’ incomes could see a fall of six per cent with the average poultry farm seeing less than half the level of income recorded in 2007/08
Pig farmers could also face a huge drop in income. A combination of higher feed costs and lower prices could see incomes for pig farmers fall by two thirds.
However, figures do show a 73 per cent increase in farm incomes in the cereal sector. This year’s positive forecast follows a fall in cereal sector incomes of 34 per cent in 2009/10 when, without Single Farm Payments from the CAP, many arable farmers would have faced losses.

NFU President Peter Kendall said: “In a week where Government was urged to increase food production by its chief scientific adviser Professor John Beddington, to feed a growing world population estimated to reach nine billion by 2050, today’s farm income figures are bitterly disappointing.

“For England’s farmers to play their part in meeting our future food production challenges, they require sustained investment in productive capacity. For many sectors, the indications are that the current returns from farming barely cover the costs of production, let alone provide the cash for re-investing in farming businesses. This is economically unsustainable.

“Farmers cannot carry on producing at little or no profit indefinitely. Like any business they need to turn a profit – and soon.”

NFU senior economic adviser Phil Bicknell said: “Arable incomes are the obvious bright spot yet even these need to be considered in context. The global supply situation has led to stronger grain prices, boosting England’s arable incomes while the headlines focus on the current high prices of commodities. However, it is important to remember that a significant amount of grain will have been sold forward or under contract at prices nearer to last year’s lows in March of £92.50/t rather than the highs of £201/t in January 2011.

“A major consequence of higher cereal prices for agriculture is higher livestock feed costs. While Defra’s forecasts don’t provide a breakdown of input costs, buying feed typically represents the primary cost for livestock farmers and higher grain prices will have exaggerated feed bills still further.

“This situation has been further compounded by a severe lack of fodder crops from last summer and the extended winter feeding needed in 2010 due to bad weather and prolonged winter. Farmers already predicted this increased need for purchased feed and for many these forecasts won’t come as too much of a surprise.

“However rising costs for farming don’t stop at animal feed. NFU members have seen rocketing input costs over the past twelve months across the board from increases to bank charges through to other major inputs costs such as fertiliser.

“Farm gate prices are the other obvious factor impacting on farm incomes and many farmers have seen revenues weaken. Beef prices for much of 2010 were down on 2009 levels, and pig prices spent much of the year under pressure. The NFU has well-documented the situation in dairy where, despite rising global commodity prices, the price paid to farmers for their milk remains painfully slow to increase.”

China Likely to Limit Corn Imports Soon
CHINA - China, the world's second-biggest corn consumer, may limit imports this year after the government told industrial users to stop buying the domestic supply, according to Yigu Information Consulting Ltd.


Starch and ethanol producers use about 40 million tons a year, so a temporary halt in purchases may free material for the livestock industry, said Feng Lichen, general manager of Yigu, which runs the country's biggest corn information portal.

China imported 1.57 million tons of corn in 2010, according to customs data, the most in about 14 years, as the government sought to cool food inflation running at 9.6 per cent in December. The country may boost purchases "to upward of" 7.4 million tons this year, said Thomas Dorr, president of the US Grains Council, in December.

"China isn't yet at a stage where it must use imports," which at the moment are more expensive than domestic supply, Mr Feng said from Dalian.

The State reserves were given priority to buy corn at below-market rates while other users, including biochemical producers owned by COFCO Ltd, were ordered to halt procurement, Mr Feng said on 17 January. These companies have now stopped buying, Grain.gov.cn said on Thursday.

The government is concerned about pork supply for the people, so this policy essentially ensures domestic supply can meet livestock use, he said.

Industrial users consume about 4 million tons of corn a month so "a couple of months of their consumption" will likely meet the reserves' goal of boosting inventory by around 10 million tons, Feng said.

China produced 164 million tons of corn in the marketing year ended 30 September, with 99 million tons used by the livestock industry and 45 million tons by producers of bio-chemicals, data from the China National Grain & Oils Information Center show.

Buying by trading companies, which stockpile the grain as part of their operations, has also stopped as the government restricts their financing, so purchase prices may come down to where the State reserves will start buying, Mr Feng said.

Most of the imports last year came from the United States, customs data show. Import estimates for this year from analysts including Feng and Shanghai JC Intelligence Co range from 1.5 million tons to 5 million tons. The exact level will depend on how much corn is planted and crop development, Mr Feng said.

As of Tuesday, the post-tax cost of so-called No 2 yellow US corn shipped into Chinese ports for March delivery was about 2,562 yuan ($389), according to industry website Jcce.cn. The spot price in southern China was 2,160 yuan a ton, according to data from Shanghai JC Intelligence Co.

Philippines - Sheep goata and cattle 28 Jan 2011
 The Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) is set to carry out a three-year Genetic Improvement Program (GIP) that may bring in 6,000 breeders of sheep and goat and 1,030 heads of cattle to be financed under PL 480.The GIP may become one of the major programs of Department of Agriculture (DA)-attached BAI as part of implementing a new roadmap that it will plan out together with the private sector.

 

 

“The private sector wants us to have a genetic improvement that will raise the quality of our breeds. We have a budget of P167 million for this for three years under PL 480,” said BAI Director Efren C. Nuestro in an interview.
 
 
 
 
The government has set on January 13 and 14 a planning session for the small and large ruminants even as two association have already filed with BAI their proposal for the growth an expansion of the industry. These are the Federation of Cattle Raisers Association of the Philippines (FCRAP) and a growers’ association for goat and sheep.
 
 
 
 
 
Based on the initial proposals, genetic improvement comes out to be a top priority for the private sector as this would raise the quality and volume of yield of meat from the animals. Among the possible sources of importation for breeder goats and sheep are the United States and Australia while usual breeder cattle import sources are New Zealand and Brazil. The government is intervening on genetic improvement of sheep and goat as their meats are known to be gourmet food raw materials.
 
 
 
 
 
Besides, government has been trying to develop new innovative cuts, recipes, and products from sheep’s lamb (chops) and from goat’s meat known as chevon or mutton.
 
 
 
 
 
When pushed through, the plan for breeder importation for goat and sheep for the next three years will just about match the country’s breeder importation over five years from 2005 to 2009. This totaled to 6,800 heads consisting of 5,261 heads of goats and 1,539 heads of sheep. For breeder cattle, the Philippines brought in a total of 3,919 heads from 2005 to 2009.
 
 
 
 
 
Nuestro said BAI will also try to consolidate plans for the hog and poultry sectors either through a proposed roadmap and through continuous consultation.
 
 
 
 
 
National Federation of Hog Farmers Durian Tan and United Broiler and Raisers Association Gregorio San Diego both believe government should focus its program on a strict policy on importation of pork and chicken meat and on bringing down cost of production of feeds.
 
 
 
 
 
Chicken meat importation soared significantly to 92 million kilos in 2010 from only 67 million kilos in 2009 and even lower at 47 million kilos in 2009, while pork importation similarly rose sharply to 172 million kilos which must have unduly hurt these farming sectors.
 
 
 
 
 
Broiler raisers have been asking government to abolish the Minimum Access Volume which allows for lower tariff for imported agricultural products including poultry and pork.
 
 
 
 
Nuestro said government also looks forward to potential industry expansion from the declaration of the entire Philippines as a foot and mouth disease (FMD)-free country perhaps by the second quarter of the year.
 
 
 
 
 
The Office International des Epizooties (OIE) just has to review final documents from the Philippines particularly the FMD-free status of Central Luzon, the last remaining area to be certified FMD-free without vaccination.
 
 
 
 
This certification should open up opportunities for the Philippines to export more hog and hog products.
 
Source: Google news

Thursday, January 27, 2011
Foot-and-Mouth Disease in South Korea Signals Regional Risk
ASIA - FAO is calling for veterinary and border control authorities in Asia to be on alert for animals showing signs of infection by Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD), following an unprecedented outbreak of the livestock-affecting sickness in South Korea.


Since late November 2010, South Korean authorities have imposed quarantines, initiated a vaccination campaign that is targeting nine million pigs and three million heads of cattle, and culled 2.2 million livestock. The overall cost of this effort is estimated at around $1.6 billion.

"The current FMD dynamics in eastern Asia, as well as the magnitude of the outbreak in South Korea, are unlike anything that we've seen for at least a half century," said Juan Lubroth, FAO's Chief Veterinary Officer. "This makes preparedness and monitoring extremely important right now."

"Authorities in Asia should make sure they are in a position to detect any instances of the disease and respond rapidly in an appropriate way. FAO is advocating proactive vaccination campaigns designed to stop the spread of the disease," he said.

"FMD must be tackled as a regional problem, which is why FAO through its Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific is planning to organize a meeting of chief veterinary officers of East Asian countries to discuss the current situation and possible coordinated responses," added Subhash Morzaria, Asia Region Manager of FAO's Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Disease Operations.

Mr Lubroth also noted that when responding to outbreaks, countries should adhere to accepted practices that adequately take animal welfare and environmental impacts into account.

Virus circulating across East Asia
Media reports of an FMD outbreak in North Korea have not been confirmed by authorities there.

In recent years FMD has made an unparalleled spread through China and entered eastern regions of Russia and Mongolia for the first time. FMD recently affected an estimated 1.5 million Mongolian gazelles, whose migration may have helped carry the virus into China. FAO sent an emergency response team to Mongolia to help authorities cope with the disease.

The overall situation in Asia is cause for concern, said Mr Lubroth, especially given the approaching Lunar New Year holiday, during which large numbers of people will be on the move in the region, many h4of them carrying meat products and some transporting animals.

Hard to contain, a nightmare for farmers and vets
FMD is a highly contagious disease affecting cattle, buffaloes, sheep, goats, swine and other cloven-hoofed animals. It causes blisters on the nose, mouth and hooves and can kill young or weak animals. There are several types of FMD viruses. The type causing the outbreak in South Korea is Type O.

The disease does not pose a direct health threat to humans, but affected animals become too weak to be used to plough the soil or reap harvests, and farmers cannot sell the milk they produce due to infection by the virus.

One of the early signs of the disease in infected animals is the excessive production of saliva and nasal discharges. The FMD virus may survive for several hours outside the infected animal, especially in cold and humid environments. This means it can be transported on almost any object that has been in contact with contaminated saliva or other discharges.

The cost of cleaning farms and culling animals is a burden for farmers, and trade restrictions based on disease outbreaks can have major impacts on both local and national economies.

Costs resulting from an FMD outbreak in the UK in 2001 have been estimated at 13 billion euro.

Vaccination is key
With FMD introductions on the increase, the question arises whether large scale culling should remain the preferred method of dealing with FMD occurrences, or if vaccination should play a much more important role.

"Emergency vaccination with the aim to disrupt disease transmission and assist progressive elimination is increasingly applied, particularly during the peak of an epidemic, so as to buy time during culling operations. Vaccination can also be applied to protect animals and keep them alive and productive," said Lubroth. "Today we have tests that can distinguish between animals that were infected and animals that were vaccinated, making it easier for countries to re-obtain certification of FMD-freedom after recovering from an outbreak," he said.

Thursday, January 27, 2011
Agriculture Ministers Back Pig Meat Private Storage
EU - European Agriculture Ministers this week backed moves for private stoage of pig meat following a representations from a Belgian delegation about the difficult situation of the pig meat market in the EU.


The comments by the Belgians were a follow-up to the reflection day on “The pig meat sector towards 2020” held on 3 December 2010 in Brussels, during which an initial review of the pig meat market had been drawn up by Member States' experts in the sector.

Since then,the ministers at the Agroicultural Council meeting heard that the situation has further deteriorated, with a strong increase in the price of feed as a consequence of the increase in cereals prices and the dioxin crisis in Germany.

The Commission announced its decision to open support measures for private storage for pig meat.

In addition, an enlarged advisory committee (stakeholders from the sector and national experts) will be convened to evaluate medium-term measures for the pig meat sector Three items in particular were identified for further reflection: intervention measures in crisis situation, insurance systemsand mutual fund, and food promotion programmes for this sector.

The Council welcomed the information provided by the Commission and the establishment of the enlarged advisory committee.

A delegation from Germany also told the Council about the present situation in Germany following thedioxin contamination of animal feed affecting the egg, poultry and pig sectors.

Precautionary measures have been implemented for suspected farms (eggs, poultry and pig production), which were kept blocked until analytical results proved that there was no contamination by dioxin, the council heard.

Criminal action at the source of the crisis could not be excluded and judicial investigations are running. In addition, the German authorities announced a 10 points action plan to prevent the repetition of such contamination in the food chain.

The Commission recalled that this case had not presented any health threat for consumers and underlined that the existing EU food safety framework had allowed for rapid information and reaction.

Harmonised EU information towards third countries had been provided by the Commission to minimise the danger of restrictive measures against European products.

In reaction to the crisis, the Commission will propose four specific preventive actions: a compulsory approval system for the establishments treating fats for animal feed, an improved separation of production streams for fat for animal feed and other fats, stronger monitoring and sampling requirements and a reporting obligation for private laboratories performing dioxin analyses.

Most of the member states thanked the German authorities and the Commission for the prompt and transparent actions taken and welcomed the initiative of the Commission to take further steps to ensure the proper functioning of the EU food safety system.

Thursday, January 27, 2011
Weekly Roberts Report
US - Poultry supply is increasing. This meat protein competes for pork sales when supply is ample and retail prices are cheaper.

Michael T. Roberts
Extension Agriculture Economist,
Dairy and Commodity Marketing,
NC State University

LEAN HOGS on the CME finished mixed on Monday. The FEB’11LH contract closed up $0.325/cwt at $80.650/cwt. The APR’11LH contract closed at $86.250/cwt; down $0.325/cwt. AUG’11LH futures closed at $96.500/cwt; up $0.125/cwt. Poultry supply is increasing. This meat protein competes for pork sales when supply is ample and retail prices are cheaper. USDA on Friday put the pork cutout at $85.64/cwt; down $0.31/cwt. According to HedgersEdge.com, the average packer margin was placed at a positive $15.95/hd based on the average buy of $55.70/cwt vs. the average breakeven of $61.50/cwt. The latest CME lean hog index was placed at 76.14 ¢ /lb; up 0.32 ¢ /lb.

CORN futures on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) finished lower on Monday with deferreds from December 2011 on finishing even with last Friday’s close. The MAR’11 contract closed at $6.552; off 2.0 ¢ /bu. The DEC’11 contract closed at $5.872; even with last Friday’s close. Profit taking, wheat/corn spreading, waning ethanol profits, and lower crude oil markets pressured prices. Exports were neutral with USDA putting corn-inspected-for-export at 25.87 mi bu vs. expectations of 20-26 mi bu. News reports from Japan indicate Chubu Shiryo, a livestock feeder, will cut corn in animal feed due to high costs. Brazil reported satisfactory corn crop weather while Argentina forecasts show much needed rain mid-week. Funds sold near 5,000 lots. Ending stocks are near 15-year lows due to strong demand and lower-than-expected yields. Traders think that farmers will consider planting more corn next spring so they are taking some profits now. Corn is expected to compete for soybean and wheat acres this spring. It might be a good idea to price another 10 per cent of the 2011 crop taking you to 80 per cent covered.

SOYBEAN futures on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) finished down on Monday. The MAR’11 contract closed at $14.044/bu; off 7.75 ¢ /bu. NOV’11 soybean futures closed off 11.5 ¢ /bu at $13.366/bu. Profit taking, prospects for better weather in Argentina weighed on prices as strong demand for soybeans from China supported prices. Funds sold just over 6000 lots on a market saturated with bull positions. Brazil soybean growing areas were getting plenty of rain filling out the crop. Exports were supportive with USDA putting soybeans-inspected-for-export at 42.08 mi bu vs. expectations for 35-40 mi bu. It is a great opportunity to speculate with the remaining 40 per cent of the 2011 crop.

WHEAT futures in Chicago (CBOT) closed up on Monday. The MAR’11 wheat contract closed at $8.352/bu; up 10.75 ¢ /bu. JULY’11 futures finished up 12.0 ¢ /bu at $8.786/bu. Strong export demand from North African and Arab countries, awful wheat-crop-conditions in Australia, and drought concerns in China are supportive. Funds bought 2,500 lots. USDA placed wheat-inspected-for-export at 23.07 mi bu vs. expectations for 22-28 mi bu. With weather problems in the other countries the US is seen as one of the last remaining placed to find high-quality wheat. Drought put the hurt on Russia’s crop last summer while heavy rains are hurting the quality of Australian and Canadian wheat. If you haven’t priced up to 75 per cent of the 2011 crop yet now is the time.

Call for Retailers to Support Scottish Pig Producers
SCOTLAND, UK - NFU Scotland has written to major retailers asking for a renewed commitment to stocking home produced pork and bacon at a time when all pig producers face an unparalleled increase in the price of feed for their animals.
 

The engagement with UK retailers comes at a time when pig meat prices across Europe have collapsed, partly fuelled by the recent dioxin feed scare, leaving an abundance of cheap supplies. The European Commission decision yesterday (24 January 2011) to trigger Private Storage Aid (PSA) as a tool to help tackle the crisis in the sector is welcome but has come at a time when some stores continue to take the opportunity to import and stock non-UK pork.

In a welcome development, the major retailer Asda has indicated that it is to factor rising feed costs into its farmgate prices. A similar price pledge from all retailers, along with a greater commitment to stock home-produced pork and bacon is desperately needed to stabilise and improve returns to pig farmers in the country.

NFU Scotland’s Pigs Committee Chairman, Philip Sleigh said, “The decision to introduce PSA with a view to stabilising the European pig sector is a hugely welcome development and the news that measures may be in place as early as the end of this week recognises the predicament that European producers find themselves in.

“The recent dioxin feed scare has hit pig and poultry producers on mainland Europe hard with significant slumps in consumption creating an overhang on the market that is dragging prices down at a time when costs are flying upwards.

“Here in Scotland, soaring feed prices are hammering the margins being made on our pig farms and UK retailer support holds the key to profitable pig production. When asked, Scottish consumers have shown clear support for Scottish pork and bacon to be available on the shelves and retailers have an opportunity to meet that demand while underpinning the viability of the sector.

“We need all supermarkets to follow the Asda example and better recognise the rising cost of production. We need those same retailers to stand by our producers through this difficult period and not sell them out to cheaper, foreign imports. They have a chance to put the long-term interests of pig production in this country first rather than chasing the short-term gain presented by imported product.

“Retailers can also better recognise the higher welfare standards here in the UK where a ban on controversial sow stalls and tethers has been in place since the beginning of 1999 but will only come into force for other European pig producers at the beginning of 2013.

“Many European producers face the difficult decision of getting out of stalls and investing in the same kind of production systems found in the UK or getting out of pigs full stop. Given the current crash in the market, investment for some will be impossible and Europe should give some consideration to an out-goer’s scheme, so that those in Europe who do not see their future in pigs beyond 2012 have a way out of the sector.”

Rules to Implement Mandatory Pork Price Reporting
US - The US Department of Agriculture yesterday announced the establishment of the Wholesale Pork Reporting Negotiated Rulemaking Committee to develop proposed language to amend the Livestock Mandatory Reporting regulations to implement mandatory pork price reporting.
 

“This committee will bring greater transparency and confidence to our wholesale pork reporting programme,” said Rayne Pegg, administrator of USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service. “Once implemented, this market reporting program will benefit pork producers, packers, processors, retailers, and consumers.”

In a negotiated rulemaking, a proposed rule is developed by a committee composed of representatives of government and the interests that will be significantly affected by the rule. The interests significantly affected by this rule will be represented by the American Meat Institute; Chicago Mercantile Exchange; Food Marketing Institute; Grocery Manufacturers Association; Livestock Marketing Information Center; National Farmers Union; National Livestock Producers Association; National Meat Association; National Pork Producers Council; North American Meat Processors Association, American Association of Meat Processors, and Southeastern Meat Association (1 combined representative for all three per organizations’ request); United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, and AMS.

The first meeting will be held on 8 February through 10 February 2011. The meeting will begin daily at 8:30 a.m. and end at 5 p.m. The meeting will take place at the Sheraton Clayton Plaza Hotel, 7730 Bonhomme Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri, 63105. The agenda includes the discussion of protocols, timeframes, scope of the rulemaking process, and identification of key issues for a mandatory program of wholesale pork reporting.

The meeting will be open to the public without advance registration. Public attendance may be limited to the space available. Members of the public may be allowed to make statements during the meeting, to the extent time permits, and to file written statements with the committee for its consideration. Written statements may be submitted in advance to the address listed in the “for more information” section below. Notice of future meetings will be announced in the Federal Register.

China Farm Produce Prices Continue Rising
CHINA - Chinese farm produce prices rose for a fourth consecutive week, through 23 January, the Ministry of Commerce said Tuesday.


One reason for the price hike was that freezing weather in southern China had affected vegetable production and transportation, the ministry said in a statement on its website.

The wholesale prices of 18 staple vegetables grew 12.6 per cent week on week. Also, the prices of green peppers, cucumbers, chilli peppers and bean pods rose by at least 10 per cent.

As the Spring Festival draws near, the demand for meat and eggs increased, while enterprises have been stockpiling supplies and large purchases have expanded.

Egg prices climbed 1 per cent week on week and beef prices went up 0.8 per cent, while pork prices increased 0.7 per cent and chicken prices were up 0.2 per cent.

Last year, rising food prices pushed up China's consumer price index (CPI), the major gauge of inflation. China's CPI hit 3.3 per cent in 2010, compared with the government's target ceiling of 3 per cent, the National Bureau of Statistics said on 20 January.

The only real information from the RP showing a 305 days lactation,comes from Alaminos Goat Farm.How many others will be able to match this is an unknown?Maybe sometimes we try too hard to follow the N.American experience when it comes to dairy.At this point in time, I will say we are looking closer to the dairy industry experience in India.The dairy goats in India lactate for approx. 240-260 days average,8-8-1/2 months.This might be a more realistic goal for some of us who wish to venture into the dairy business with goats.The 5-6 months of lactation would be hard to make money at and 10 months might be out of reach for some of us,something in between seems more achievable in the long run.Maybe a good starting point and work up from there.A bloodline is only as good as the environment it is living in.Any top bloodline living in an environment that is questionable will have questionable results.On the other hand,some breeds are much more productive over other dairy breeds and crossbreeds have been known to become decent producers,but their offspring(s) command lower prices over the purebreeds.It will be interesting to follow the growth of dairy RP and see which breed(s) prove themselves in the milk lineup.

Philippines - Poultry for Japan 28 Dec 2010
 San Miguel Foods, Inc. has signed an agreement with a company based here to put up a 120-million-peso (PHP) poultry processing facility in northern Mindanao, reports Business World.
Ericson M. Irlandez, San Miguel Foods South Mindanao area operations manager, said the deal with North Star Asia Holdings Corp would build a plant that could process 30,000 chickens daily.
 
 
 
 
Under the agreement, North Star Asia will set up the plant, while San Miguel will pay for the processing of chicken.
 
 
 
 
 
"The plant will have to follow certain protocols," Mr Irlandez said, including compliance with requirements under the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points and International Organization for Standardization. The processing plant will also be halal-certified, he added.
 
 
 
 
 
The plant, which will be in El Salvador, Misamis Oriental, will be the second export-oriented processing facility for North Star, next to the company's existing plant in Sirawan district in this city.
Vicente T. Lao, North Star chief executive officer, said the company has obtained a 3.7-hectare area in El Salvador and is ready to develop the new site. "Unless we get into some hitches in the application then we will [start site development]," he said. Mr Lao, also chairman of the Mindanao Business Council.
 
 
 
 
Victorio A. Antonio, San Miguel Foods head of national processing operations for poultry and meat, said 60 per cent of the plant's output will be for export, while the remainder will be for the local market.
 
 
 
 
 
To be shipped out are skewered poultry, explained Dr Leo A. Obear, general manager for the poultry and meats business of the San Miguel subsidiary.
 
 
 
 
 
He said: "Our main products would be 'yakitori', or Japanese chicken barbecue." Because the processing is labour-intensive, the plant is expected to open employment opportunities in the host town. This will also result in poultry grower contracts in areas around El Salvador, which is adjacent to Cagayan de Oro City.
 
 
 
 
 
According to Businesss World, San Miguel Foods will export the plant's output to Japan to augment the volume shipped to that country from processing plants in Luzon, said Mr Antonio.
Source: newsroom - meattradenewsdaily.co.uk

Agricultural Revolution Needed to Feed the World
UK - A report published today, highlights the decisions that policy makers must make today and in the near future, to ensure that a global population rising to nine billion or more can be fed sustainably and equitably.


The Foresight report makes a compelling case for urgent action to redesign the global food system to meet the challenge of feeding the world over the next 40 years.

Professor Sir John Beddington, the Government’s Chief Scientific Adviser and Head of the Foresight programme, said: “The Foresight study shows that the food system is already failing in at least two ways. Firstly, it is unsustainable, with resources being used faster than they can be naturally replenished. Secondly, a billion people are going hungry with another billion people suffering from ‘hidden hunger’, whilst a billion people are over-consuming.

“The project has helped to identify a wide range of possible actions that can meet the challenges facing food and farming, both now and in the future.”

UK Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman said: “We need a global, integrated approach to food security, one that looks beyond the food system to the inseparable goals of reducing poverty, tackling climate change and reducing biodiversity loss – and the UK Government is determined to show the international leadership needed to make that happen.”

“We can unlock an agricultural revolution in the developing world, which would benefit the poorest the most, simply by improving access to knowledge and technology, creating better access to markets and investing in infrastructure.

“To fuel this revolution, we must open up global markets, boost global trade and make reforms that help the poorest. Trade restrictions must be avoided, especially at times of scarcity. And we must manage price volatility by building trust and cooperation – and in particular by creating greater transparency around the true levels of food stocks.”

The report’s main findings are:

Threat of hunger could increase: Efforts to end hunger internationally are already stalling, and without decisive action food prices could rise substantially over the next 40 years making the situation worse. This will affect us all - as more of the world suffers from hunger social tensions will increase, as will the threat of conflict and migration. Wider economic growth will also be affected.

The global food system is living outside its means, consuming resources faster than are naturally replenished. It must be redesigned to bring sustainability centre stage: Substantial changes will be required throughout the food system and related areas, such as water use, energy use and addressing climate change, if food security is to be provided for a predicted nine billion or more people out to 2050.

There is no quick fix: The potential threats converging on the global food system are so great that action is needed across many fronts, from changing diets to eliminating food waste.

Weekly Outlook: Corn, Soybean Supplies for 2011
US - The USDA projects that corn stocks at the end of the 2010-11 marketing year will total only 745 million bushels, writes Darrel Good, agricultural economist at the University of Illinois.


That projection represents 5.5 per cent of projected marketing year consumption. Stocks as a per cent of consumption would be the smallest since the record low 5 per cent of 1995-96. Five per cent is considered to be a minimal pipeline supply.

Marketing year ending stocks of soybeans are projected at 140 million bushels, or 4.2 per cent of projected consumption. That ratio is slightly smaller than the previous low of 4.4 per cent in 2003-04. The low level of inventories projected for this year reflects different market conditions than those that existed in either 1995-96 or 2003-04. Both of those years were characterized by small crops that required a sharp reduction in the level of consumption just to maintain minimum year ending stocks. Year-over-year consumption of corn declined by 8.5 per cent in 1995-96 and soybean consumption declined by 9.5 per cent in 2003-04.

In contrast, corn consumption during the current marketing year is expected to be 2.8 per cent larger than the record of last year. Soybean consumption is expected to be about equal to last year’s record. The low level of expected year ending corn stocks are the result of a 2010 corn crop that was 5 per cent smaller than the record crop of 2009 and a rapid acceleration in the use of corn for ethanol production. The 2010 soybean crop was only 0.8 per cent smaller than the record crop of 2009. Stocks at the beginning of the year, however, were small and exports are expected to be record large. Exports are increasing primarily as a result of strong Chinese demand.

Strong US and world crop demand, scattered production problems in 2010 and early 2011, and prospects for generally tight stocks have pushed corn and soybean prices high enough to raise concerns about more rapid food price inflation. The question now is whether the year ahead will bring some change in the tight supply/high price scenario. Much of the attention will be on the prospective size of the 2011 US corn and soybean crops and the level of demand for those crops.

First a look at corn demand prospects for the 2011-12 marketing year. There is likely to be some further weakness in domestic feed demand resulting from current high feed costs and further liquidation of livestock numbers. Export demand is more difficult to anticipate due to the uncertainty of world grain production, the pace of economic growth, and trade policy. Demand at the same level as this year may be the best forecast. The level of use of corn for ethanol production may be the most important factor. Use during the current marketing year is expected to be well above the level required to meet renewable fuel mandates. The mandates for 2011 and 2012 would require about 4.7 billion bushels of corn to be used for ethanol production during the 2011-12 marketing year, or 200 million less than expected to be used this year. Use could exceed the mandate again next year if blending economics remain favorable. Corn consumption in 2011-12 could decline by 100 to 300 million bushels from the projected level for this year.

A 200 million bushel decline would put total corn consumption at 13.23 billion bushels in 2011-12. With a trend yield of 159 bushels in 2011, harvested acreage would need to total 83.2 million acres to produce 12.23 billion bushels of corn. Planted acreage would need to be near 90.3 million, 2.1 million more than planted in 2010. If demand is stronger than expected and/or stock rebuilding is to begin and if there needs to be some allowance for yield risk, planted acreage may need to be in the range of 92 to 93 million acres.

Demand for US soybeans in 2011-12 is likely to remain strong due to a modest production shortfall in Argentina this year and continued strong Chinese demand. If consumption remains near 3.35 billion bushels and the 2011 US average yield is near the trend value of 43.2 bushels, harvested acreage will need to total about 77.5 million acres to maintain pipeline supplies at the end of the 2011-12 marketing year. Planted acreage would need to be near 78.5 million, 1.1 million more than planted in 2010. To allow some modest rebuilding of stocks and to allow for yield risk, planted acreage may need to be near 79.5 million. Additional double cropping will help meet the need.

It appears that combined acreage of corn and soybeans needs to increase about 6.5 million acres in 2011 to allow for some modest rebuilding of US inventories. A smaller increase would require above trend yields to avoid another year of very tight supplies.

UFU Warning on the Soaring Price of Grain
NORTHERN IRELAND, UK - The Ulster Farmers’ Union is warning that the soaring price of grain will be the single biggest challenge facing farmers this spring.


Since last spring farmers have seen the price of grain more than double and in this month alone the price of feed rose by £15 per tonne, and further increases are expected in the coming months. While all farmers are facing increasing production costs, the rising cost of feed is hitting pig and poultry producers particularly hard.

Speaking after this week’s UFU Pork and Bacon Policy Committee meeting, UFU President John Thompson said, “Feed costs make up 60 per cent of the cost of production and therefore the rising cost of compound feed has meant that the past few months have been extremely challenging for pig farmers. The situation has become so serious that some pig farmers are now at a crossroads as they consider whether or not to continue on in the business. However, the UFU has urged pig producers to review their own specific cost of production before making any decisions.”

Last week the UFU met with representatives from the NI Grain Trade Association (NIGTA) to raise awareness of the situation facing farmers.

Mr Thompson said, “NIGTA were sympathetic to farmers’ circumstances and have indicated that the high price of grain is the result of a number of global factors. Unfortunately, NIGTA have said that farmers can expect the price of grain and feed to continue to rise in the coming months. The intensive sector is feeling the brunt of rising feed costs at the moment, but this is something that is a concern across all the livestock commodities.”

As production costs continue to skyrocket, the UFU is calling on retailers to recognise the stark reality facing farmers and to ensure they are providing a fair farm gate price that takes into account the current cost of production.

Mr Thompson added, “If retailers want to continue to be able to source high quality raw materials from Northern Ireland, they must take in to account the current reality facing farmers and be prepared to offer a farm gate price that reflects this. The UFU is continuing with its retailer meetings this month in order to raise these concerns and will be strongly urging retailers to respond with sustainable and profitable farm gate prices that will help to ensure future supply.”