Pork Commentary: Banff Pork Seminar Report
CANADA - This week's North American Pork Commentary from Jim Long.


Last week we attended the 40th annual Banff Pork Seminar held in the beautiful tourist town and National Park of Banff, Alberta, which is surrounded by the Rocky Mountains. The venue is a far cry from the normal places we have swine conferences.

Our Observations
About 600 people attended the seminars. Most were from Canada, but there was also a strong contingent from the United States.


Mood of the producers and industry participants could be best described as cautiously optimistic.


Feed prices were the big topic of conversation. Fear of runaway feed costs is tempering all enthusiasm of future lean hog prices in the mid 90’s.


We heard of no significant sow herd expansion. There are still many empty sow units in Canada, but for many reasons. Few, if any, appear to be restocking in the near future.


Mark Greenwood, Vice President of Ag Star Bank in Minnesota (Farm Credit affiliate) spoke and said that currently in the US, 25,000 sow farrow-to-wean units with a good bio-secure location are being valued at $800 per sow, while sow units in more disease prone areas are $400 per sow. He said that recently some 10 year old finishers were sold and brought more than $150 per finishing space, selling for more than they cost to build ten years ago.


Ron Plain, an Ag Economist spoke. He projects the Iowa (USA) barrow-gilt price will range in the second and third quarters between 76 and 82 cents lean per pound. Considering the lean hog futures are averaging in the 90’s in the same time frame, we have to wonder if Mr Plain knows something that all the many in Chicago are not smart enough to see. Mr Plain’s projections reflect a price that is $25.00 per head less than what the futures project? On the other hand, we continue to believe lean hogs will reach $1.00 lean per pound this summer. June lean hog futures closed, as of Friday, at 97.52. A 2,500 sow producer commented to us after hearing Mr Plain, “Makes you want to sell the farm after listening to him!”


We were in several discussions that involved higher weight grids from packers. A couple of speakers gave presentations on the economic considerations of higher weight hogs. It’s also becoming apparent that a couple of Dutch genetic companies selling in North America are having a difficult time with their hogs getting too fat at heavier weights. Short and fat doesn’t work at 280 pounds.


We spoke to several bankers who attended the conference and you get the feeling they, like the rest of us, are marooned in the hog industry. The accounts they have, they have to manage, but bankers are not looking for new business and are far from optimistic. There will be little bank funded expansion until equity levels are replenished.


We had the Genesus Reception last Tuesday night at Banff, with approximately 300 attendees. It was good to see so many customers and industry people having a good time.


The foot and mouth disease in South Korea has been devastating. There are reports that an estimated 2.5 million pigs or about 15 per cent of Korea’s inventory has been eliminated. North American packers at the Banff Seminar told us that they were getting many calls for pork in South Korea. The need and demand for pork to replace what has been destroyed will lead to greater pork exports. This will be supportive of North American hog prices.
The Markets
Several lean hog contracts reached life of contract highs last week – ie. June 97.525 and Oct 85.875.


The ISM, last Friday averaged 74.59 on their way to 80 in February.


Cash early weans averaged 59.10 while 40lb feeder pigs increased to an average of $78.10 (with highs of $83).


The latest ISM weekly weights were 274.8lbs, down 1lb from the week before, still 4lbs heavier than the same week a year ago, but closer year over year than they have been in some time. We expect to see hogs move up when we see weights dropping because this, in itself, will show a more current hog inventory.
This week we will be at the Iowa Pork Congress and you can visit us at the Genesus booth. Wednesday, at 5pm, Genesus will host a beverage and appetizer reception at the Holiday Inn – across from the Convention Center. You are invited.

Next week’s commentary will give our observations of the Iowa Pork Congress.


Author: Jim Long, President & CEO, Genesus Genetics

Attempt to Solve Pig Waste Problem Shows Results
TAIWAN - Taiwan has been experimenting with a simple solution to the perennial problems of pollution, smell and excessive water use on pig farms: train the pigs to use a toilet.


After some encouraging results the government now wants all the island's pig farms to adopt the practice as it looks to burnish its green credentials, offering cash to farmers and pushing the benefits such as less watery manure that can be sold at higher prices.

"To use the pig waste as manure is a very good approach within the spirit of green energy, much better than just letting it go to waste and pollute river water," Stephen Shen, Taiwan's "environment minister", told Reuters Television.

"And I think that can help us a lot in decreasing CO2 emissions and fighting global warming."

The "toilet" consists of a series of iron bars installed about 20 cm above the floor in the corner of the pen. Pigs step between the bars to go about their business, with the waste collected in a single, easy to clean spot.

If all the around six million pigs in Taiwan - one for every four people - used such toilets, the government estimates the around 180 million litres of water used per day in cleaning would fall by half.

The "environment ministry" has helpfully published three suggestion on how to toilet-train pigs: put some faeces in the cage as pigs will follow the smell; clean the rest of the pen so "the pigs are not misled to defecate outside the toilet" and let the pigs "become familiar with the new environment."

Chang Chung-Tou, general manager of Long Kow Foods Enterprise, a pig farm with toilets in the western Taiwan county of Yunlin, says not only does he get more for his manure, but his potty-trained porkers live longer.

"Because we don't need to flush the whole cage with water, the pigs are also less likely to catch colds. That helped us to raise the survival rate of our pigs from 70 to 90 per cent," Mr Chang told Reuters Television in an interview at the farm.

He said he has been able to increase income from the less-diluted, and therefore better quality, manure he sells to other farmers as fertiliser to more than NT$250,000 ($8,636) a year from NT$50,000.

If that is not incentive enough for others, the government will also help.

"As long as farmers are willing to try, we would give them financial aid," said "environment minister" Shen.

US Hog Margins
US - US Hog Margins improved since the middle of December, as hog values increased more than feed costs during the period, writes Doug Lenhart, General Manager of Genesus, USA.
 

All three markets, Corn - Soybeans - Hogs, were higher heading to year-end with general strength in commodities to close out 2010, but strength in the hog market was a standout feature.

The quarterly hogs and pigs report from the USDA highlighted a much smaller inventory of lighter-weight hogs than what the market was anticipating. The total hogs and pigs inventory was pegged at 64.325 million head, 0.9 per cent lower than a year ago, but in the individual weight classes, hogs weighing 50-119 pounds were reported down 1.6 per cent from a year ago while the lightest weight category of hogs weighing less than 50 pounds was reported down 0.75 per cent from a year ago. Both figures were well below pre-report expectations, reflecting lower Sep-Nov farrowings. Both Dec-Feb and March-May farrowing intentions were similarly below trade expectations, leading to a sharp rally in deferred hog contracts.

Corn and soybean meal prices continued moving higher due mainly to concerns over ongoing drought conditions in Argentina, with local agronomists now lowering production estimates for both the corn and soybean crops there.

Looking specifically at Hog Margins we see both sides of profitability. Nearby Q1 margins remain negative, while deferred margins in Q2 and Q3 still look attractive with Q4 at breakeven. Securing margin protection with flexible price strategies will continue allowing for improvement over time.

You can see in the first graph below there have been opportunities to complete a full hedge and lock in profit for Q1 hogs. The line represents what profit or loss would have been available to producers in the US on any given date while completing the purchase of feed and selling the lean hogs on the same day. The maximum profit potential was $7.10 if executed in mid-summer 2010 or a loss of ($7.63) if you executed during harvest. The second graph simply shows the losses that would be incurred if you had waited until the end of 2010 to place your hedge. As of 31 December 2010 your full hedge would lock in a ($2.47) loss.


The next two graphs utilize the same analysis as used above but for Q2 of 2011. This quarter has remained profitable but also provides a wide range. Maximum profit opportunity was offered in the mid-summer again at $11.65 per head. The tightest margin opportunity was during the harvest at essentially breakeven or $1.56 per head. The 31 December margin opportunity was $6.64.


Q3 has remained profitable just as Q2 has been. The high has not been as good, showing only a $6.67 opportunity, while the least amount has been $1.30. Profit opportunity on Dec 31 was $5.13.

Q4 remains at or below breakeven with a high of $0.13 a few weeks ago and a loss of ($1.53). The 31 December figure was ($0.20).

The Hog Margin calculation assumes that 73 lbs of soybean meal and 4.87 bushels of corn are required to produce 100 lean hog lbs. Additional assumed costs include $40 per cwt for other feed and non-feed expenses. Thank you to Commodity & Ingredient Hedging, LLC (CIH) for the margin data. Please visit CIH Margin Watch to subscribe to the CIH Margin Watch report.

Philippines -Chicken imports 24 Jan 2011

The high increase is being criticised by local chicken and pork producers, who claim that their viability is threatened .
 
BAI figures show that there has been an increase in imports of chicken cuts, chicken leg quarters, whole chicken, deboned chicken and offals, while there has been a decline in imports of chicken fat and rind/skin.
 
Imports of chicken cuts as of 13 December 2010 year amounted to 3,241 tonnes from the 2,993 tonnes imported in 2009.
 
 
Imports of chicken leg quarters increased by more than 10,000 tonnes last year to a total of 36,831 tonnes compared to the previous year's imports of only 26,372 tonnes.
 
 
Imports of whole chicken more than doubled last year to 603.2 tonnes compared to the 250.8 tonnes imported in 2009.
 
Likewise, imports of deboned chicken also increased this year to 56,064 tonnes compared to imports last year amounting to only 36,887 tonnes.
 

There was also a noticeable increase in imports of chicken offals this year with imports tripling to 121.1 tonnes compared to 2009's imports amounting to only 40.4 tonnes.

A decline in imports, on the other hand, was registered in chicken fats from 211.5 tonnes in 2009 to only 103.7 tonnes in 2010.
 
Likewise, imports of chicken rind/skin in 2010 fell to 232.2 tonnes from 510.7 tonnes the previous year.

Philippines - Pork imports 24 Jan 2011
Pork imports reached 172,626 tonnes from January to December last year, compared to only 114,365 tonnes for the whole of 2009.
The high increase is being criticised by local chicken and pork producers, who claim that their viability is threatened .
 
 
As for pork, there has been a continued increase in all imports of pork cuts, pork bellies, deboned pork, fats, offals and pork rind/skin.
 
 
 
 
 

Australia remains world's 5th-largest wheat exporter 21 Jan 2011
Australia maintained its position as the fifth-largest global exporter of wheat in 2009-10. Exports to China increased in 2009/10 and imports of Australian wheat by Middle Eastern countries decreased, Wheat Exports Australia said.
 
The total global wheat trade reached 127 mt in the international trade year that ended June 30, 2010, WEA said.
 
Australia's top six bulk wheat exporters shipped 9.6 mt and accounted for 79% of total bulk exports in 2009-10. The top four exporters each shipped in excess of 1.0 mt of bulk wheat, accounting for 64% of Australian bulk wheat exports.
 
Position challenged
Historically, Australia has held a position in the top five major wheat-exporting countries, but in recent years this position has been challenged by growing exports from the former Soviet Union states of Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan.
 
About 20% of global wheat production is sold internationally, with the trade averaging 115 mt a year in the 10 years ended 2009-10, peaking with growth of 41% to 143 mt in 2008-09, WEA reported.
 
Shifts in trade
The regulator identified other major shifts in the global trade that might have a significant impact on Australia, including changes in demand from China, which as the world's biggest producer, has the potential to significantly impact world trade depending on its production and grain stocks.
 
Australian wheat exports to China nearly tripled to 647,000 tonnes in 2009-10. Middle Eastern countries cut imports to around 10 mt in 2009-10 as a result of an increase in domestic production and stagnant domestic consumption, a contraction that has had a significant impact on Australia's wheat exports.
 
Historically, around 40% of Australia's wheat exports went to the Middle East, but in the five years ended 2009-10 this fell to 2.0 million tons, or 14% of total exports.
 
The Iraq war and past limitations on the Australian wheat trade to Iraq were major factors behind this change, but Australia has also faced increasing competition from traditional rivals such as the US and Canada, and newer competitors, such as India.
 
However in 2009-10, Saudi Arabia almost ceased domestic wheat production and has recommenced importing, wheat offering further potential for Australian exports to the region.

Make Your Own Cheese

By Rona Sullivan 


I think you can utilize these ideas and principles whether you are making cheese for your family, or striving for a commercial operation.

Start simple
Even when you start with the easiest, most basic recipes, it's important to keep your standards high. Practice consistency in taste and texture, making the best cheese you can, before moving on to more complex cheeses. Some cheesemakers spend all their time on taste and forget, or don't realize, the importance of texture. For me, raw milk cheese texture is consistently smoother, but whether you're using raw milk or pasteurized, be very gentle with the milk and curd. Gentle handling is an important component to good texture.

Presentation
Don't forget appearance. It may be the last step, but it is as important as your consistency in taste and texture. Whether it's on your dinner table or in its package at the farmers market, a "pleasing appearance" makes tasting your cheese a more "pleasing experience." Attractive cheese also sells better.

Natural garnishes are often easily acquired, and sometimes they are even free from your own kitchen garden, or your neighbor's. We don't use any chemicals on the garden here, so we don't have to worry about using our own edible herbs and flowers.

They do need to be washed, and if you are planning to make commercial goat cheese, you will have to check with the Department of Agriculture in your state for any additional requirements. They may require you to use standardized herbs. I have chosen to use only standardized herbs in and on my cheese. I do use my own clean garnishes to decorate around my cheese samples, on the outside of packages, or creatively arranged in a vase or on the farmers market table.

What's in a name?
Name your own cheese. Set yourself apart, and above. Why copy European cheese recipes exactly, and re-use the names given them according to their origin? Some of those names are being reclaimed anyway; like Greek Feta.

Do some research on your family or the area in which you live, or the place where you were born. Besides the fact that it's a pleasurable pastime, you should be willing to go the extra mile if you're serious about commercial artisanal cheesemaking. Your knowledge will be obvious and will garner immediate respect from foodies, cheesemongers, customers, and cheesemakers "in the know." It also makes your older relatives feel valued and cherished. Is there some special family legacy that you can help perpetuate? How about a heritage food practice that you can help revive, or maybe even save from oblivion. Do you know, or could you find the place where some of your earliest ancestors entered and settled in America? Maybe your relatives remember something you could highlight about your family's country or countries of origin relating to the use of milk, or making of cheese.

Many American artisanal cheesemaker's have taken an "old world" idea, and placed their own creative, original twist and name on their cheese. Please respect our names, and don't adopt them either! (My Bonnyclabber is one example, as it was not originally a cheese name, but a term for clabbered milk in the Blue Ridge Mountains where I was born. Besides using the name "Bonnyclabber Cheese Company," I am working on "Bonnyclabber" as a registered trademark.) Americans are smart enough to know whether they like, and recognize your cheese, without your naming them for say, Cheddar, England, or Roquefort, France!

Thrift stores, yard sales, library sales, and family members are good places to look for books with old cheese recipes. I like the old church, school, or neighborhood recipe books. Even one recipe per book related to your family of origin, or the area in which you live is a treasure!

Cheese that pleases...you
When I think of making cheeses that would please everyone, I can't help but admonish you with Ricky Nelson's "Garden Party" lyrics. "You see, you can't please everyone, so ya' got to please yourself." Go ahead and concentrate on making cheese that pleases you. Besides, you may be the only person there during the "make" process! Cheesemaking can be boring and labor intensive with long hours on your feet. It's even more so if you are doing farmstead cheese, or working with large quantities of milk or curd. So make cheese that you like, and find out what would keep you engaged and interested.

That doesn't mean that you shouldn't expand your own cheese palate. Many of us Americans are too accustomed to bland, standardized cheeses. Don't be afraid to go around to cheese shops and taste samples of goat cheeses made from raw and pasteurized milks, from mild to strong, soft to hard, and American as well as imported. Try to take any available tasting opportunities that will include pairings with wine, fruit, good breads, chocolate, etc. What accompanies a cheese can vary your taste experience greatly. There are some very inexpensive short courses that might even be available in your area.

Some basic recipes
Please remember to check with your Department of Agriculture if you are planning to use any version of these recipes commercially. If you use raw milk, most likely you will have to age the cheeses for at least 60 days. Some states will not allow you to sell cheese in olive oil, especially if you use herbs from your garden, because of the Listeria or botulinum contamination possibilities. Most of these recipes are for family use as fresh cheese just to give you a feel for cheesemaking if you're a newbie, or something to tweak if you're experienced.

Make your own yogurt

This works with fresh, raw milk, or store bought milk.

You'll need a large casserole dish or stainless pot, milk, and some yogurt to use as your starter. (Note: Make sure the yogurt you use has live culture.)

The ratio of yogurt to milk is roughly 1:5 (1 part yogurt: 5 parts milk). Pour the milk into a large bowl. Add yogurt and mix very well. Then pour gently into a large casserole dish placed in a pan of water, or directly into a stainless pot that will fit inside your oven. Bring the milk and yogurt mix to a temperature just under that which you could not comfortably touch. That should not be above 110ºF. Too hot and you will destroy the live cultures that are going to form your curd. Take it off the heat, wrap in a large towel, and place in a cold oven overnight, or for eight hours undisturbed. That works year-round unless your home is too cool in winter. If so, put the towel-wrapped casserole dish in a large cooler with a closed lid. Otherwise, it could be placed near a not-too-hot woodstove for the night, or some warm place where it will be undisturbed. I find that on top of a refrigerator is also a good place, as refrigerators do put off a little heat. The "undisturbed" part of the equation is very important. Antsy people like myself have to learn the hard way, after ruining batches by checking too often before the eight hours are up!

If the yogurt is not thick enough to please you, you don't have to add gelatin or powdered milk, but could try leaving the mix undisturbed a few more hours. Or, you could try draining it in a close-weave cloth placed in a colander (cheesecloth weave is too loose for a weak yogurt), until it's got the texture you like.

There is a choice of acid starters: strained fresh lemon or lime juice, a citric acid solution, white vinegar, yogurt, cultured buttermilk, or a naturally soured whey from a previous batch. The whey dripping from a batch of hung yogurt cheese makes an excellent starter. Each type of reagent gives a different body, texture, and flavor nuance to the fresh curd.

Temperatures and handling vary from person to person, so use these recipes only as a guide. If you experiment enough, you will find your own comfort level. Write your changes into the recipe if that helps you remember. Over time, if you have made one or more alterations, you can re-name the recipe as your own!

Acid-Coagulated Soft Cheese

(This is another non-rennet method.)

This soft cheese can be made with vinegar, or lime or lemon juice. I just don't prefer the texture and the unpredictable results with cheese made this way. I find it to be grainy, but just try it for yourself to determine what you think.

1 gallon of fresh strained goat milk
1/4 cup vinegar, or lime or lemon juice.

With frequent stirring, heat milk to a boil, which should be about 230ºF. Add vinegar, lime or lemon juice, and stir briefly. Wait 10 minutes and strain through a cheesecloth-lined colander, or hang to drip making sure you save the protein-rich whey. (In a later series, I will give you some of my favorite recipes for using the whey. Freeze the whey in clean, empty yogurt containers or small zip-lock bags for later use. In the meantime, you can search the Internet to find some recipes using whey.)

Yogurt cheese ideas from the Middle East and Greece

Use yogurt that you have made, or plain yogurt from the grocery store, drain it in cheesecloth or a coffee filter, and then try the following:

Lebna (Yogurt Cheese)

4 cups goat yogurt
2-1/2 teaspoons salt

Mix salt and yogurt.

Place in a porous, clean dishtowel or cheesecloth.

Pull up ends and tie.

Hang over a bowl overnight or 24 hours.

Store in cloth or paper in the refrigerator.

Use plain on toast for breakfast, with fruit or honey, or add various spices and use as a spread.

Labnah Makhbus (Yogurt Cheese Balls in Olive Oil)

Use the preceding Lebna recipe. If you want to spice it up, mix Lebna with the herbs or spices of your choice; such as parsley, oregano, black pepper, hot pepper, paprika, garlic, etc. Form labnah into small balls-smaller than golf balls. Labnah can be rolled in spices, as well. Store covered in olive oil in glass jars and use as spreads or in dips.

Note: All versions of spelling lebna are correct.

Quick and Easy Buttermilk Cheese

Yield: Approximately 2 cups

2 quarts of buttermilk

(You can buy it from the store, or better yet, use your own if you have buttermilk left after making butter.)

Put the 2 quarts of buttermilk in a large covered ovenproof casserole. Place in a preheated 305ºF oven for 15 to 20 minutes. It will separate into curds and whey.

Pour the warm liquid into a cheesecloth-lined colander. Tie ends of cheesecloth and let drain for several hours over the faucet of the sink with a bowl underneath to catch the whey. Or, put a colander on top of a tall bowl or pot, with a plate or bowl on top of the knot-tied cheese.

Save the whey, which can be used to replace sour milk, buttermilk, and sometimes water or milk in baking. For a firmer cheese, squeeze out most of the liquid.

Wrap well in cloth and refrigerate, keeping in mind that the fridge will dry this cheese a little every day. You can use that to control the texture that you want.

This cheese can be used for blintzes, in any recipe calling for cottage cheese, or spread it on a bagel for a lower fat alternative to cream cheese.

Goat Milk Hard Cheese

Heat sweet, whole goat milk in a pan to 86-88ºF.

Add 10% by volume, otherwise one part to 10 parts, of yogurt or buttermilk with live cultures. Make sure the yogurt or buttermilk ingredients list active or live cultures which will act as the "starter." Stir for 2 to 3 minutes.

Add rennet at the rate of 25 drops to each gallon of milk, by first diluting the rennet in 1/2 cup of clean tap water, or distilled water.

Stir the mixture into the 86-88ºF milk, and then allow the curd to set for about 30 minutes.

Curd is ready when it breaks clean over a finger inserted into the curd at an angle and lifted slowly.

Cut curd into 1-inch vertical squares. The curd is then cut into cubes by cutting horizontally with a stiff bent wire or long knife. Curd particles should be uniformly cube-shaped to allow for even heating.

Slowly raise the curd temperature to 98-100ºF in about an hour. Stir the curd gently and slowly with a spatula to keep the curd from breaking. During the entire heating period, stir the curd frequently enough to maintain an even temperature and to prevent scorching.

When the curd is firm enough, it has a tendency to stick together. At this time, pour the curd into a muslin cloth or bag and form it into a ball. Allow the ball to hang until all free whey has dripped away-about two to three hours. After draining, remove the cloth from the curd ball, and place the ball on a cheesecloth folded over three or four times.

Fold a long cloth, about the size of a dish-towel, into a bandage about three inches wide and wrap it tightly around the ball of curd. Pin the band in place. Work the top of the ball with your hands until it is perfectly smooth with no cracks.

Lay a piece of wet cloth over the top of the cheese; place a flat plate over the cloth and weight the plate with a flat iron or a brick. If the weight falls to one side, the cheese will be uneven. To avoid this, make a simple cheese press by sandwiching the cheese between two pieces of clean board or metal pans. The round wheels of cheese should not be more than six inches in diameter. Otherwise there will be a tendency for the cheese to dry too quickly. At night turn the cheese over and replace the weight. Allow the cheese to press until the morning.

Remove cloths from the cheese and place in a cool place, turning twice daily for three days or until a rind forms.

Rub a tablespoon of salt on the rind once a day for two days. After salting, rub the cheese with a small amount of olive oil for two days, or daily until the rind is very firm. After this, it should be necessary to rub the cheese only about twice a week to prevent drying and restrict mold growth. The cheese should be ready to eat in about eight weeks.
 

Hog and poultry raisers in Pangasinan have called on the government to stop the importation of agricultural products in 2011, saying the imports were derailing the country’s effort to attain food self-sufficiency, according to Inquirer of the Philippines.
 
 
 
Rosendo So, vice president of the National Hog and Poultry Raisers Association of the Philippines, said the government should instead provide more support for stakeholders in the agricultural sector to attain food self-sufficiency.
 
 
 
 
 
He said: "Farmers, hog raisers and poultry growers are vital contributors to the food basket of our country."
 
 
 
 
 
He added that the importation of agricultural products, particularly rice, chicken and pork, has steadily increased since 2005.
 
 
 
 
For chicken alone, he said, the volume that entered the country increased by 71 per cent from 2005 to 2010.
 
 
 
 
"This year alone, the government allowed the importation of 97,197,041 kilograms of chicken, which [represents] about 31 per cent increase from the 67,264,871 kilograms in 2009," Mr So said.
He said the steep increase in the level of pork importation has alarmed hog raisers.
 
 
 
 
This year, he said, pork importation is 71 per cent higher than the 2005 level.
"Pork importation this year is 34 per cent higher than the 114,365,159 kilograms imported in 2009," Mr So said.
 
 
 
 
He said feed requirements for locally grown hog and chicken are shouldered by farmers. But in other countries, he said, governments support their farmers, making their products cheaper.
 

Old-Fashioned Goat Milk Soap

By Suzy Hassler 

Several years ago soap was not an item to be picked up at the local store. It was handmade on the farm, utilizing ingredients available in those days gone by. My great-grandmother in the old country would save fat from butchering hogs for a year, then clean it and use it for soap. She also made her own lye by dripping water through the ashes left from the hearth. Luckily, we can purchase fat and lye from the store, and though we can purchase ready-to-use soap there too, it's also fun and relatively easy to make soap at home, just like it used to be. Making soap can be a dangerous undertaking and young children should never be allowed in the same room where soap is being made. Lye is a caustic agent and safety procedures must be followed when making homemade soap. Be sure to use rubber gloves, eye protection, and counter protection. With precautions taken, making soap can be a fun and creative activity, and a good way to make use of extra goat milk! Homemade goat milk soaps are great for gift-giving and many people with sensitive skin find that goat milk soap can be a soothing alternative to commercially prepared products.

Supplies needed:

13 cups of fat (104 ounces)
1 pound pure lye (Rooto or similar brand) also called sodium hydroxide, 1/2 cup honey
1 cup hot water
4 cups chilled liquid (could be all goat milk, or a combination of goat milk and water or herbal tea)
Scent and coloring (optional--available at soap making suppliers)
A soap mold (available online or could be something as simple as a box lined with freezer paper--it must be something the lye won't eat through).

Prior to starting, freeze water in several plastic soda bottles. These will be used to stir the hot mixture.

Into a bowl, dissolve the honey in one cup of hot water; set aside to cool.

In a stainless steel pan in the sink, slowly add the lye to the 4 cups of cold liquid, stirring with a frozen water bottle. This should take up to 45 minutes to slowly add the whole amount of lye. This causes heat, so the water bottles will have to be changed several times.

Meanwhile, melt the fats on the stove (on low) in another stainless steel pan. For my 104 ounces, I like to use two cans of Crisco shortening, which leaves me 8 ounces to account for. I like to use something good for the skin for the additional ounces, such as olive oil.

While the fats are melting, it's time to prepare the soap molds by coating them with mineral oil. The molds can be wood, plastic, or enamel.

Add the cooled honey water into the lye pot. When all of the lye has been dissolved, and all of the oils have melted, and both pans have cooled enough to pick up bare-handed, they should be of similar temperatures to be able to combine. With a large wooden spoon, slowly stir the lye mixture into the oil pot, stirring constantly. A portable mixer or stick blender, used exclusively for soap making, is ideal. Stir in the scent and stir to trace (meaning it just starts to thicken up).

Quickly pour into the prepared molds and leave them undisturbed overnight. Clean all utensils with hot water and liquid soap. After 24 hours, unmold the soap and set out of the way to cure for six weeks. Once fully cured, the lye has been neutralized and the soap is ready for use. Now label, package and distribute!

Suzy Hassler, Sutton, Nebraska, has raised dairy goats with her husband, Butch, for over 25 years. They have been 4-H leaders and show and milk several different breeds of dairy goats. This recipe was first published in The Little Book of Goat Crafts, a fundraiser of the Nebraska Dairy Goat Association, by Betty Pecka and Suzy Hassler. The book is available at www.freewebs.com/nebraskadairygoat.

 

, January 20, 2011Print
World's Fastest Growing Piétrain Lands in N America
NORTH AMERICA - The Hypor Maxter has landed in North America.
 

Originating in Europe where the Piétrain is the dominant terminal breed, the Maxter is known as the world’s fastest growing Piétrain. With the European experience having been validated in recent Canadian commercial trials, semen from this new North American population will be available across Canada and the United States in 2011.

Hypor is pleased to announce the addition of the Hypor Maxter to its North American terminal boar portfolio. Exceptionally lean, efficient and fast growing, this Piétrain line sits next to Hypor's Kanto and Magnus Duroc terminal lines (including the DGI and Shade Oak populations). The addition provides producers in Canada and the United States with a comprehensive selection of terminal lines designed to optimise on-farm efficiency while meeting the diverse needs of the North American pork industry.

Originally developed by France Hybrides in 1971, the line was acquired by Hypor in 2008. The Hypor Maxter has achieved widespread commercial success in Europe where it is recognised for being the fastest growing Piétrain in the world. Recent Canadian commercial trials using imported semen have validated European results and demonstrate significant opportunity for the genes in the North American pork value chain. With ever increasing pressure on cost of production, the time was right to introduce the Hypor Maxter line to North America.

Hypor Maxter great grandparent males and females were imported to Manitoba, Canada in July 2010 from Hypor's Sichamps nucleus in France. Once Hypor and federal inspection processes were complete, the Hypor Maxters were moved from the isolation facility to the Lockport, Manitoba nucleus facility in November 2010. Maxter boars are also being placed in Hypor's Greenhill Gene Transfer Center and semen will be available for phase two commercial evaluation with strategic partners across Canada and the United States in early 2011 and for widespread commercial use in fourth quarter 2011.

Thursday, January 20, 2011Print
Low Pork Prices Sparks Dutch Farmers' Protest
NETHERLANDS - Pig farmers are protesting at the low price of pork.


Pig farmers from all over the country took action on Tuesday (18 January) in protest at the low prices currently being paid for pork, according to Dutch News.

The national pig farmers association, NVV, has urged farmers to refuse to deliver any pig to abattoirs and to stop others from doing so by setting up temporary blockades.

The farmers say the cost of transporting animals to abattoirs has gone up 22 per cent over the past year while prices have been driven down by lack of demand following the German dioxin crisis.

In addition, the traditional supply and demand laws of setting prices have been distorted by the "market clout" of a few big players, the organisation said. "Everyone gets their costs covered and earns a margin except pig farmers."

They hope to pressure meat processors and supermarkets to increase their prices.

The association did not say what price producers are currently being paid for pork. Supermarket group, Dirk, is currently advertising one kilo of pork chops for €5, according to Dutch News.

Thursday, January 20, 2011Print
UK Slaughter Statistics - January 2011
UK - The latest National Statistics produced by Defra on UK slaughterings of cattle, sheep and pigs were released today, 20 January 2011. UK clean pig slaughterings for December 2010 were 896,000 head with pig meat production at 72,000 tonnes.
 

Key points
Cattle: UK prime cattle slaughterings for December 2010 were 189,000 head with beef and veal production at 83,000 tonnes.
Pigs: UK clean pig slaughterings for December 2010 were 896,000 head with pig meat production at 72,000 tonnes.
Note that December 2010 is a five-week statistical month and therefore data are not comparable with December 2009.

Section 1. UK monthly slaughter estimates
This table shows monthly estimates of the number of cattle, sheep and pigs slaughtered for meat for human consumption in the United Kingdom. The survey is run according to statistical, rather than calendar months, the number of weeks in the statistical month is specified below.

Table 1. UK monthly slaughter estimates
United Kingdom October 2010
5 weeks November 2010
4 weeks December 2010
5 weeks
Steers 109 85 89
Heifers 77 66 73
Young Bulls 32 25 27
Cows and Adult Bulls 65 62 55
Calves 10 7 7
Clean Pigs 950 786 896
Sows and Boars * * *
* Data are confidential

Section 2. UK average dressed carcase weights
This table shows the monthly average dressed carcase weight of livestock slaughtered for meat for human consumption in the United Kingdom. Longer term trends can be found on the Defra web site by clicking here.

Table 2. UK average dressed carcase weights
Kilogramme
United Kingdom October 2010 November 2010 December 2010
Steers 363.2 362.5 366.1
Heifers 318.9 318.4 322.4
Young Bulls 344.5 343.3 342.7
Cows and Adult Bulls 314.7 314.2 314.7
Calves 39.9 41.4 43.4
Clean Pigs 79.4 79.1 77.3
Sows and Boars 158.9 153.9 154.3

Section 3. UK monthly home-killed production of meat
This table shows the monthly volumes of meat produced in the United Kingdom. Data is shown according to statistical, rather than calendar months, number of weeks in statistical month as specified.

Table 3. UK monthly home-killed production of meat
Thousand Tonnes
United Kingdom October 2010
5 weeks November 2010
4 weeks December 2010
5 weeks
Beef 96 80 83
Pig meat 79 65 72

Section 4. UK average weekly slaughterings
This following table shows the average weekly slaughter figures for the last thirteen months. The monthly slaughter figures in section one are affected by the number of weeks in the statistical month. To get a clearer measure of trends weekly averages are calculated by dividing the number of livestock slaughtered each month by the number of weeks in the statistical month.

Longer term trends can be seen in the charts following this table.

Table 4. UK average weekly slaughterings
Thousand Head
United Kingdom 2009 2010
Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Steers 18 17 19 20 20 19 18 18 18 21 22 21 18
Heifers 15 14 16 16 15 14 14 13 13 14 15 17 15
Young Bulls 5 5 5 6 6 7 8 8 8 7 6 6 5
Cows and Adult Bulls 10 9 11 10 9 9 9 10 10 11 13 16 11
Calves 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 1
Clean Pigs 180 169 176 177 172 174 171 171 181 184 190 197 179
Sows and Boars 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 * * * * * *
* Data are confidential




United Kingdom average weekly slaughtering – Cattle




United Kingdom average weekly slaughtering – Pigs
Section 5. UK slaughterings by country
This table shows monthly estimates of the number of cattle, sheep and pigs slaughtered for meat in England and Wales, Scotland, Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Data are shown in statistical months, rather than calendar months. The totals for the countries may not add up to the Great Britain totals or the United Kingdom totals in section one, due to rounding.

Section 5. UK slaughterings by country
(Thousand Head)
  October 2010
5 weeks November 2010
4 weeks December 2010
5 weeks
England & Wales
Steers 64 52 55
Heifers 44 39 42
Young Bulls 22 18 18
Cows and Adult Bulls 49 46 41
Calves 9 7 6
Clean Pigs 736 608 698
Sows and Boars * * *
Scotland
Steers 24 19 21
Heifers 19 16 20
Young Bulls 4 3 3
Cows and Adult Bulls 6 6 5
Calves 0 0 0
Clean Pigs 57 47 54
Sows and Boars 0 0 0
Great Britain
Steers 87 70 76
Heifers 63 56 62
Young Bulls 26 21 21
Cows and Adult Bulls 55 52 47
Calves 9 7 6
Clean Pigs 793 654 753
Sows and Boars * * *
Northern Ireland
Steers 22 14 13
Heifers 13 11 11
Young Bulls 6 5 6
Cows and Adult Bulls 10 10 8
Calves 1 0 0
Clean Pigs 157 132 143
Sows and Boars 1 1 1
*Data are confidential

Philippines - Organic farming 17 Jan 2011
WHILE the rest of the world was busy preparing for the New Year’s Eve party last week, a few vegetable sellers were preoccupied with one thing: that new stickers bearing the words “Certified Organic” get pasted on their produce before it hits the market. On Saturday, new food labelling requirements demand that only Government-approved organic farms get to label their produce as “organic”, thus putting an end to a situation that is best described as a “free-for-all”.
 
 
 
 
This requirement, according to the Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Ministry, is intended to give some kind of assurance to consumers that they are getting genuine organically-grown stuff.
 
 
 
 
 
The popularity of eating safe, chemical-free food in recent years meant that many players have marketed their produce as organic, without any form of independent, third party verification or certification...

Philippines - Small growth in pig production 14 Jan 2011
"Growth of 1 per cent [in local hog production] is achievable this year," Bureau of Animal Industry director Efren C. Nuestro said in a telephone interview on Thursday.
 
 
 
 
"Diseases were controlled and prevented this year, and backyard farms have also recovered - although slowly - from the onslaught of typhoons in the last quarter of 2009." In the nine months that ended in September, local hog production had increased by 0.74 per cent to 1.36 million metric tons (MT) from 1.35 million MT last year, data from the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS) show.
Hog production grew 1.08 per cent to 1.88 million MT for the entire 2009 from 1.86 million MT the preceding year, the same data showed.
 
 
 
 
 
Mr Nuestro said seasonal "heightened demand" for the product in the fourth quarter because of the holiday season should have provided a boost to the industry’s recovery.
 
 
 
 
"There is a heightened demand for pork every fourth quarter because of the holidays. This will encourage more slaughtering of hogs and increase production," Mr Nuestro said.
 
 
 
 
 
According to BusinessWorld, he added that the Agriculture department has yet to come up with a growth target for the industry next year.
 
 
 
 
"After actual data of local hog production this year registers, then we will be meeting to craft plans, programs and targets for the industry," Mr Nuestro said.
 
 
 
In a separate telephone interview, Albert R. T. Lim, Jr., president of the Pork Producers Federation of the Phils., Inc., said any growth this year would be better than none.
 
 
 
 
"I really cannot say how much the industry will grow; but if local production can grow by 1 per cent,
that is very good, although minimal," Mr Lim said.

Philippines - The expanding poultry industry 12 Jan 2011
The government expects the value of poultry production to hit or even exceed the official growth target of two per cent for 2010, with the first three quarters already recording a three per cent increase before the seasonal boost in the last three months of the year, an Agriculture department official said late last week.
 
 
 
 
"Given the growth of [local poultry production] in the nine months [that ended in September] and a surge in demand for the product in the fourth quarter because of the holiday season, we expect it to register a two per cent growth or even exceed it," Bureau of Animal Industry director, Efren C. Nuestro, said in a telephone interview with Business World on 23 December.
 
 
 
 
In the nine months to September, poultry production grew 3.01 per cent to 36.69 billion pesos (PHP) from the same period last year, data from the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS) show.
 
 
 
 
In terms of volume, chicken production, which accounted for 73.34 per cent of poultry output that
period, increased 2.82 per cent to 987,390 metric tons (MT) from 960,350MT last year.
 
 
 
 
Chicken egg production, accounting for 22.67 per cent, rose 5.87 per cent to 288,640MT from 272,640MT in the same comparative periods.
 
 
 
 
But duck production, which accounted for 2.25 per cent, dropped 9.9 per cent to 24,040MT from 26,680MT.
 
 
 
 
Duck egg production, accounting for 1.74 per cent, dipped 4.81 per cent to 28,520MT from 29,960MT.
 
 
 
 
"We see poultry to have continuous growth throughout the fourth quarter, especially because demand usually surges during the holiday season, which in turn increases production," Mr Nuestro said.