Thai Food Firm Eyes Investment in Philippines
PHILIPPINES - On a recent visit, top officials of Charoen Pokphand Foods (CPF) indicated their company's interest in investing in feed, poultry and pig production in the Philippines.



Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala has thanked Thailand Ambassador to the Philippines, Kulkumut Singhara Na Ayudhaya, during the latter's recent courtesy call at the Department of Agriculture (DA) central office in Quezon City.

According to a government press release, Ambassador Ayudhaya had been joined by top officials of Charoen Pokphand Foods (CPF), Thailand's leading agro-industrial and food conglomerate, who expressed keen interest in investing in the country particularly on feed mill, poultry and piggery operations.

Secretary Alcala immediately tasked DA officials and agencies to assist CPF officials to realise their planned investment.

Last year, total trade between the Philippines and Thailand amounted to US$3.7 billion. The country's top agricultural exports to Thailand include tuna, cigars and cigarettes, and cereal products, while top agricultural imports include Thai rice, corn seeds and cassava starch or tapioca.

UK Signs Deal to Export Breeding Pigs to China
UK - Britain today signed a deal that will allow the export of its breeding pigs to China, home to half of the world's pig population, the government said.



Citing Reuters, The Business Times reports that the deal and future business stemming from the agreement is expected to be worth around 45 million pounds (US$72.8 million) to the British pig industry over the next five years.

The agreement coincided with Britain's biggest ever trade delegation to China, the world's second-largest economy.

"This agreement gives a valuable boost to the British pig industry and is already delivering results," Business Secretary Vince Cable said.

Mr Cable is part of the British government team visiting Beijing this week. Prime Minister David Cameron will arrive on Tuesday.

The pigs will begin to be flown out shortly, the first export of British breeding pigs to China for three years. With artificial insemination techniques, an adult boar can sire 6,000 piglets a year.

Two British firms, JSR Genetics based in Yorkshire and JJ Genetics in Cambridge, are already planning to expand their business in China on the back of the deal.

Agreement has also been reached on health certification to allow a start to be made on the export of UK pigmeat to China.

British industry officials say that pig meat exports to China have the potential to rise to over 40 million pounds per annum if all UK meat processing plants are approved.

Meanwhile, in Scotland....
This trade agreement could be worth millions of pounds to the Scottish economy.

Richard Lochhead Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs welcomed the re-opening of potentially lucrative livestock markets with China following a ten-year closure.

Trade was suspended between the UK and China due to animal health issues including the global H1N1 outbreak. Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond discussed the resumption of import protocols with Shuping Zhi, Deputy Minister for General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ), when he visited Beijing in July.

Mr Lochhead said, "Re-opening trade with China is fantastic news for Scottish farmers and exporters. Scottish pig exports can now resume and this could lead to lucrative new markets with the potential of bringing in millions of pounds for the industry.

"Both breeders and processors stand to benefit from gaining access to such a significant customer base. Scotland has a long standing reputation for producing quality livestock and our high health status should help ensure that a large proportion of the farms providing breeding pigs for export to China are based here.

"There is already £1 million worth of orders in place for Scottish stock and more could be made in royalty payments and contracts over the next five years. I know the pig industry in Scotland is primed to make the most of this exciting export opportunity."

Managing Director of Scottish Pig Producers Ltd, Gordon McKen said: "This is excellent news for the industry in Scotland as it opens up new opportunities for the export of our breeding stock. Scotland has a reputation for a high health herd and we are in a good position to take advantage of the new protocol.

"This agreement could also lead to the eventual export of other products and that's certainly to be welcomed."

BPEX Chairman, Stewart Houston, commented: "This is wonderful news for the industry and something we have really been looking forward to.

"It will offer enormous opportunities for pig meat, particularly with a range of fifth quarter products – the parts of the carcass that command a premium in China.

"We are very grateful for the hard work and spirit of co-operation shown not only by the Chinese but also Defra's international animal health division and the British Embassy and UKTI team in Beijing, to bring these negotiations to a successful conclusion.

"The process did get delayed somewhat by the outbreak of foot and mouth disease in 2007 which temporarily halted the talks"”

The process of approving the list of UK pig processing plants for export to China is now nearing completion. A joint Defra and BPEX delegation is due to travel to China on 24 November 2010 and will present several more plants for approval during the trip. Plus, an increasing number of plants are interested in joining the list as a result of these developments.

Demand for food safety products to reach USD45.2b in 2014
[9 November 2010] Demand for food safety products in the Asia Pacific region -- including disinfection and diagnostic products, smart labels and tags, and software and tracking systems -- is projected to rise 10.3% per year to USD 45.2 billion in 2014. Advances will be stimulated by gains in food and beverage processing activity and increasingly strict food safety regulations, according to a new study from Freedonia Group Inc, a Cleveland-based industry market research firm. The new business in the regions will account for two-fifths of the world’s aggregate market value gains between 2009 and 2014. China will continue to see some of the fastest demand growth, due to mounting pressure on the part of consumers, producers and regulators to ensure the safety of the food supply.

Research Shines Light on Pigs' Secrets
CANADA - Which are the best pieces of pork, what their texture is, how moist they are – the secrets pigs keep from even the most skilled butchers – are about to be revealed, thanks to a sophisticated new technique that has been developed by McGill University researchers in conjunction with Agriculture Canada and the pork industry.



“This is about giving industry workers better tools to do their job,” explained Dr Michael Ngadi of McGill’s Department of Bioresource Engineering.

“Computer-aided analysis of meat will result in higher-quality jobs, optimal production, and exports that fit more closely with the target markets.”

The technology involves spectroscopy, a technique based on the analysis of the wavelengths of visible and invisible light produced by matter.

By measuring the wavelengths of reflected light that pork cuts release, the researchers discovered they could easily determine the colour, texture and exudation (water release) of the meat.

The technique is revolutionary, as previous laboratory techniques had involved destroying the testing sample.

“The technique enables production workers to conduct objective and scientific analysis of the meat very quickly on the production line,” Dr Ngadi said.

It means the meat can be more accurately sorted according to the quality demanded by different export markets.

The research is not far from leaving the laboratory and entering factories, according to Dr Ngadi.

“We are currently looking for partners who will work with us to build a ready-to-use device for a commercial production line,” he said.

The researchers are also looking to extend the technique for the evaluation of other aspects of meat quality, such as marbling and fat content.

This study was part of a project supported by funding from the Natural Science and Engineering Council of Canada and le Fonds québécois de la recherche sur la nature et les technologies.

CME - Rise in Lean Hog Futures
Lean hog futures were generally higher on Wednesday (3 November) as market participants were buoyed by reports of improving cash pork prices and better packer demand for hogs in the coming days, write Steve Meyer and Len Steiner.



Hog and pork prices were hit hard in October as a combination of seasonally higher slaughter numbers, heavy hog carcass weights and the desire of producers to get ahead of weight gains created a short term glut of product.

The supply imbalance appears to have been normalized to a certain extent. Hog weights remain near all time record levels but they appear to have leveled off and they are actually down compared to late October.

Based on the MPR slaughter data (LM_HG201), hog carcass weights for Tuesday November 2 were 207.55 lb (dressed weight, wt. average). This is still about 3 pounds heavier than a year ago but lower than the 209+ carcasses we saw towards the end of last week. Hog slaughter this week is currently on track to be around 2.3 million head, about the same as a year ago. However, there are some reports that Saturday slaughter will be quite heavy so it is possible we may see a few more hogs coming through. The question that the market is grappling with is what happens with slaughter in December. We have speculated that producers accelerated marketings in October to account for the fast weight gains. Hog weights seasonally increase in October and November as hogs are fed better feed and enjoy cooler weather. This year, weather has been quite good and the significant difference in feed quality had a dramatic impact on hog feed intake. If this assessment is correct, then we should see a dip in marketings in late November and December. Markets continue to expect a bump in December with the nearby Dec LH contract at $66.725/cwt compared with cash IA/MN lean hog prices of $59.39/cwt. As the top chart shows, the spread between cutout values and cash hog prices currently is near the highs for the year, again not unusual for this time of year.

Packer margins should be quite good and if hog supplies tighten in the coming weeks, it is likely this will translate in higher hog prices for December and January. A big unknown at this time is the state of pork exports. We have noted that US beef exports this fall have increased sharply (weekly sales report) and private sources indicate that pork exports also are doing quite well. We noted in yesterday’s letter the impact that a weaker US currency is expected to have on grain exports and the same can also be said about meat products.

How Stress Affects Pig Meat Quality
DENMARK - Researchers have found how stress affects the pig's meat quality at the cellular level.



Pig stress that occurs in connection with slaughtering can affect the metabolism in muscle cells, which in turn can have impact on meat quality, reports the University of Aarhus.

When pigs are stressed in connection with the slaughtering process, it can affect meat quality. Scientists from the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences have identified metabolites that could potentially be used as markers for slaughter stress.

A pig's last hours can be a rather stressful time. The pig finds itself in strange surroundings, it meets strange pigs, goes for a drive, and is then herded into an abattoir. Stress in a pig destined for slaughter can affect its meat quality. That is not news in itself, but the effect on the cellular level has not been revealed – at least not until now.

Postdoc Ida Krestine Straadt from the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences at Aarhus University has identified metabolites that can potentially be used as markers for the stress effects that occur in connection with slaughtering.

She cultured muscle cells in the laboratory under conditions that correspond to the stress situations to which a finisher pig is subjected.. She subjected the cells to heat or to lack of oxygen. Heat stress can occur in connection with transportation and handling of pigs while lack of oxygen can arise in connection with sedation prior to slaughter.

Dr Straadt explained: "My studies showed that changes occur in the metabolites when there is heat stress or lack of oxygen in cultured muscle cells."

She found a decrease in the amino acids alanine, glutamate, glutamine, aspartate and phenylalanine with heat and oxygen depletion stress and an increase in the production of the metabolite, lactic acid. Lack of oxygen also resulted in an increase in the metabolite glycerol-3-phosphate.

The results can give an impression of the effects of stress that can occur in connection with slaughtering of pigs.

"The findings in my studies with cells correspond very nicely to results in another study in our department in which live pigs were stressed," said Dr Straadt.

In this experiment the pigs ran on a treadmill. Various stress parameters were measured immediately after, one hour after and three hours after the exercise. When the pigs were slaughtered, their meat quality was examined and related to the stress measurements. The results indicate that even though the pigs were stressed they quickly got back on track with regard to certain measured meat quality traits.

"Meat from the pigs that were sampled immediately after slaughter had a higher water loss than meat from pigs that had had the chance to rest for either one or three hours," she said.

This means that meat from pigs that have been stressed immediately prior to slaughter has an increased risk of being less juicy. If the pigs have the chance to rest after the drive to the slaughterhouse and before slaughtering, then this risk is reduced. A rest does not, however, fix another of the stress parameters, namely meat toughness.

"Meat from the stressed pigs was tougher than that from non-stressed pigs whether or not they rested after running," explained Dr Straadt about the other study in the department.

The relations shown between stress measured at the cellular level and in live pigs to meat quality can possibly be used as markers to indicate if a pig has been stressed.

Dr Straadt added: "Perhaps it would be possible to see if the pig has been stressed somewhere along the way in the process, either in the piggery, during transportation or at the slaughterhouse. If awareness of the problem could be heightened and there were methods to measure if the pigs had been stressed, then it would be easier to do something about the problem."

The muscle cell project was carried out in collaboration between the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and the Faculty of Health at Aarhus University and was funded by the Danish Council for Independent Research, Technology and Production. The project with the live pigs on the treadmill was financed by the EU project Q-PorkChains.

PCV Vaccine Developed in Henan
CHINA - A vaccine against porcine circovirus (PCV) has been successfully developed in Henan Province.



The vaccine has been granted the National Registration Certificate for New Veterinary Drug and the production approval document number as well as the approval to be marketed as a national-level new veterinary drug of the second category from the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA), according to an official source.

This is the first major result of the Project of R&D on New Diagnostic Technology and New Vaccines for Major Swine Diseases, a key specialized project on science and technology of the Province during the Eleventh Five-Year Plan period implemented by Luoyang Pu-Like Bio-Engineering Company Limited.

According to the introduction, this PCV vaccine independently developed by China could create direct economic benefits of over one billion yuan and reduce the loss from the disease by over 36 billion yuan during the four years' protection period, and help the swine industry save vaccination expenses of three billion yuan each year.

PCVD is globally recognized as a major disease that jeopardizes the swine industry, and also one of the three major diseases that do harm to China's swine industry.

Yang Hanchun, Director and Chief Scientist of the national research office for disease control in the modern swine industry and Professor of China Agricultural University said: "PCVD is one of the major diseases that affect China’s swine industry; and effective vaccination is crucial to control the spread of PCV."

Its now November 2010 and what has happened to these goats from PL 480.As of now I have not heard of anyone on the receiving end of getting any of these animals from this importation order.Some of the American producers would like to know what has happened to the stocks they sold are making out in a tropical country.The saga continues.

The advantages and disadvantages of the different feed ing options for group-housed sows are outlined by Dr Trish Holyoake, Technical Specialist Pig Health, Wagga Wagga in a publication from the NSW government. She also offers tips on getting each system to work to its best potential.


This Primefact provides pig owners with general guidelines to consider when designing and managing pregnant sows in groups.

What are the options?
The options for housing pregnant sows in groups revolve around the type of feeding system used. The most common systems are:

Floor feeding
Liquid trough feeding
Electronic feeding stations (EFS)
Free access feeding stalls
The suitability of each system within an existing farm will depend on cost (capital and operating), productivity of the system (pigs born/sow/year, culling rates), the producer’s ability to manage the new system and building compatibility with existing housing.

The aims of any group housing system are to control the feed intake of individual sows, provide low levels of aggression during feeding and reduce aggression around re-grouping of sows.

What Factors Affect These Outcomes?
There are advantages and disadvantages of all systems. The success of each will depend on:

Quality of husbandry – skilled and motivated stockpersons are key for early detection and appropriate treatment of sows that are sick or injured.


Space allowance. The Model Code of Practice for the Welfare of Animals (Pigs) states that each sow must have at least 1.4 square metres of floor space if housed in groups. The optimal space allowance to reduce the risks of injuries, skin abrasions and vulva bites has not been determined but there should be adequate space for sows to access feed and water without competition, to rest in a clean, dry area as a group and a separate area for dunging.


Quality of space. Areas where sows may commingle should be at least three metres wide, to allow sows to pass each other.


Pen divides. Solid pen divides encourage sows to lie against them. An enclosed solid area with enough space for each sow to lie separated from a slatted dunging area is ideal.


Group size. Having too many sows for each feeding station does not allow all sows enough time to access their daily feed ration. Recommendations are:
Gilts: maximum of 30 per station; Sows: maximum of 50 sows where there is only one feeder in the pen; Sows: maximum of 65 where there is more than one feeder in the pen.


Use of bedding. Studies conducted in Europe suggest that adding straw (approximately 200g per sow per day) reduces culling rates in sows housed in EFS systems compared to no-straw housing. Bedding is likely to be more advantageous in cold conditions than when it is warm.


Mixing unfamiliar sows. It is best to keep sows in stable groups. If sows must be mixed, do it after four weeks gestation (after implantation of embryos) to minimise risks of pregnancy loss.


Allow an extra five per cent of total gestation space to house sick or compromised sows. Ensure in hospital pens that about tow-thirds of the flooring has a solid, soft cover. Sows with foot and/or leg problems will benefit from being placed in recovery pens with dirt/compacted clay flooring.
The advantages and disadvantages of each of the main group housing systems are summarized below.

Floor feeding
Advantages
Lowest capital cost (requires only pen/yard with solid flooring area).
Simple, low maintenance.
Allows simultaneous feeding of all sows.
Disadvantages
It is impossible to individually feed sows a specified ration.
Competition at feeding can result in physical stress and injury.
Dominant sows may prevent low-ranking sows from eating, resulting in variable body condition among groups of sows.
It is difficult to detect reduced appetite as an early sign of illness in sows.
Litter size in sows housed in small groups immediately post-mating may be lower than in sows housed in stalls for the first four weeks of gestation.
Hints


Floor feeding
Photo courtesy of Lisbeth Ulrich Hansen, Pig Research Centre in DenmarkMove sows into floor-fed systems four weeks after mating.
Group sizes of 12 to 15 sows per pen.
Group sows according to body conditions.
No re-grouping of sows.
Feed only once daily.
Spread feed over the pen floor to allow low-ranking sows access (1.3 metres of feeding space per sow).
Liquid trough feeding
Advantages
Low capital cost, simple, low maintenance.
Allows simultaneous feeding of all sows.
Disadvantages
As for floor feeding.
Hints


Liquid feeding in trough
Photo courtesy of Lisbeth Ulrich Hansen, Pig Research Centre in DenmarkMove sows into trough-fed systems four weeks after mating.
Group sizes of 12 to 15 sows per pen.
Group sows according to body conditions.
Allow 50cm trough space per sow.
Feed once daily.
Electronic feeding stations
Advantages
Allows individual sows to have a set ration of feed, according to stage of pregnancy and body condition.
Large degree of flexibility in managing dynamic groups of sows.
Computer-assisted software systems are available to aid in managing pregnant sows.
Disadvantages
EFS must be managed well to avoid problems developing.
Feeding is not simultaneous. Poorly designed/managed EFS can result in aggression at entry and/or loitering in the feeder.
Abou rtwo per cent of sows will fail to adapt the system.
Hints


Electronic feeding station
Photo courtesy of Lisbeth Ulrich Hansen. Pig Research Centre in DenmarkSeek advice from an expert on the selection and management of EFS.
Gilts must learn to use EFS. Start training gilts to use the feeding stations at a size that they cannot turn around in the feeding station (100 kg+).
Train gilts in a separate pen similar to the gestation pen. Use a training EFS with manual control of the entry gate, trough and feed. Train gilts in small (10 to 15 gilts), stable groups.
Don’t train gilts when they are on heat or when you are flush-feeding them. The training period should last around threeo to four weeks.
Large (6m × 4.5m) nesting areas with added straw attracts the sow to the lying area. Adding straw also reduces the risks of early culling for sows in group housing.
Start the 24-hour feeding cycle between the hours of 22:00hr and 02:00hr. Behavioural studies have shown a decreased number of confrontations among sows around the feeding station when the feeding cycle starts at 22:00hr – compared to starting at 04:00hr. It seems that sows would prefer to feed in the day time – therefore, starting feeding at night allows the more dominant sows to feed first and the less dominant sows access later on.
Avoid changing group numbers. Each time more sows are added to the group it alters the equilibrium. Keep stable sow groups.
Pay special attention to gilts and parity 1 sows – these are the animals at highest risk of injury and skin abrasions.
If full-length stalls with ends that can be closed are used, sows are easily restrained for treatment or other management procedures.
Disadvantages
Individual feeder systems require the most floor space out of all the systems.
Not possible to tailor feed rations to individual sows or stages of pregnancy unless feeding by hand.
There can be aggression at feeding times unless the feeding stalls are fitted with rear gates.
Partitions that only protect the head and shoulders of sows (‘half stalls’) may result in aggression and feed stealing.
Gilts and low-ranking sows may stay in the stalls if the outside pen environment is threatening to them.
Hints


Free access feeding stalls
Photo courtesy of Lisbeth Ulrich Hansen, Pig Research Centre in DenmarkDivide sows into groups according to body condition.
Design systems with lying areas away from the feeding/transit areas, with solid floors, straw and walls to attract sows. The lying area should allow approximately 0.6 square metres per sow. Stall systems without lying areas can result in extensive dunging in the entire area outside of the stalls.
Lock sows in the feeding stalls during the feeding time – but otherwise allow them to walk in and out freely with the backs of the stalls open.
Allow a minimum of three metres between the backs of sow stalls, to enable sows to pass each other without threat.
October 2010

Forces Joined to Bring Home the Bacon
AUSTRALIA - The Brisbane Smallgoods Company (BSC) will have its brand, 'Aussie Farmer’s Choice' rindless middle bacon rashers, sporting the Australian PorkMark logo, in almost one thousand additional retail outlets across Australia.



BSC Director, Adam Purcell said: “The bacon packaging will display the hot pink Australian PorkMark logo incorporated with the slogan 'No imported pork... 100% Australian Pork'.”

“With major smallgoods processors using mainly overseas pork, I’m proud to be a small Australian owned company who supports solely Australian pork producers. I only hope the Australian public can support my company and the Australian farmers who have worked so very hard to produce this product.”

“For some time now, Australian pork producers and consumers have been battling ambiguous labelling laws. The hot pink Australian PorkMark logo is a guarantee to consumers that what is in the packet is 100 per cent Australian home-grown and manufactured pork,” Mr Purcell said.

BSC have been using the PorkMark since 2009 and were the first Queensland company to join the programme.

Every week, more than $10 million worth of pork imports totalling over 2,600 tonnes of frozen pork arrives by boat in Australia. This amount of subsidised imported pork equates to around 70 per cent of Australia’s ham, bacon and small-goods consumption.

Australian Pork Limited CEO Andrew Spencer said: “Consumer research has shown that 96 per cent of Australians would prefer to buy Australian-grown food if they could identify it. Consumers do this in order to support Australian farmers (97 per cent) with over 92 per cent of Australians believing that Australian meat is fresher, safer and better quality. Current country of origin labelling regulations makes it difficult for consumers to identify Australian pork versus imported pork.”

“Commonly used terms such as ‘Made in Australia’ can be used on products that can contain imported meat and this can become very confusing for consumers. The pink Australian PorkMark is your guarantee of Australian origin.”

There is 265 butchers and small goods manufacturers Australia-wide that are licensed to display the PorkMark logo on their products.

CME: Feed Market to Start Focusing on Demand
US - Feed prices remain a hot topic in the livestock complex and we should get some additional information from USDA when it updates its supply and demand estimates on 9 November, write Steve Meyer and Len Steiner.



At this time the market still does not have a firm grasp of the total supply coming from this year’s harvest. There is some expectation that USDA will further lower its yield estimate. Harvest has been relatively good in some of the northern states and it remains to be seen if that will be sufficient to offset the disappointing results of the harvest in other states. We will provide a more complete update on this once we receive the regular analyst survey prior to the report.

As the supply questions are settled, the market will start to focus more intently on the demand side in the grain complex. According to the latest USDA report (which will be updated next week), the total US corn supply for the marketing year which started on 1 September was estimated at 14.382 billion bushels. Of this supply, 1.708 billion bushels was inherited from last year and 12.664 billion bushels was expected to come from this year’s harvest. Those numbers are still up in the air but should become clearer next week.

The US ethanol industry is estimated to use about 4.7 billion bushels of corn, or 33 per cent of the available supply for this marketing year, another 10 per cent or 1.380 billion bushels is expected to go for industrial uses and seed, while exports are expected to take 2 billion bushels or 14 per cent. The remainder of the available supply is expected to go into animal feed and residual, which is one word moniker for ‘we know it got used up but don’t know where it went.’ All of these demand issues will be closely observed.

One issue that has gained prominence in recent days is the outlook for US grain exports in light of a weaker US currency. Through the first eight months of the year, almost half of all US corn exports went to Japan, S. Korea and Taiwan. The Japanese yen has been steadily appreciating against the US currency since June. This means that while US nearby corn futures have appreciated by almost 65 per cent since 1 June, in Japanese Yen terms, prices have appreciated only 45 per cent, a difference that provides Japanese buyers an edge vs. their US counterparts.


Corn prices are expected to remain high through next year and this should ration some of the export demand. But a weaker US currency will blunt some of the impact of the higher US prices. No one really knows how weak the US currency will get now that the FED has decided to crank the printing presses. What is known is that a weak dollar will be one more factor fueling inflation in feed and eventually livestock prices.

Hunan Dakang launches IPO
[5 November 2010] Dakang Animal Husbandry Co Ltd, a major pig producer in China’s southern province of Hunan, has initiated an IPO. The company expected to issue some 26 million shares, which will account for less than 25% of the company’s total share capital. The fund will be used to build an integrated pork production project that consists of compartment farming units for 300,000 pigs per year and a slaughterhouse with an annual capacity of 400,000 pigs. The company produced 163,000 slaughter pigs in 2009 and registered a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 66% for revenue and a CAGR of 61% for net profit during 2007-2009. Dakang showed greater performance this year with the first-half revenue increasing by 53% year-on-year to CNY 197 million (USD 29.6 million).

Del Monte Pacific posts USD3.3m profits in Q3
[5 November 2010] Food company Del Monte Pacific announced a third quarter net profit of USD 3.3 million. Last year the company recorded a net loss of USD 1.7 million. Del Monte attributes its profit to increase of 16% in sales year-on-year to USD 88.4 million because of higher turnover in the Philippines and its export markets. The company also recorded better earnings for its processed and fresh business segments.

China increases estimate for soybean imports
[5 November 2010] China’s Ministry of Commerce recently increased the country’s estimated soybean imports for October from 4.15 million tonnes to 4.5 million tonnes, while the ministry expects the volume for November to reach 4.65 million tonnes. An announcement on its website said American soybean loaded for October shipments registered 3.6 million tonnes. The ministry also said the soy oil loaded for October imports, mostly from the US and Brazil amounted to 223,300 tonnes.

 Indian SBM export increases 83% in October
[3 November 2010] Soybean-meal exports from India could jump 83% in October as farmers boost sales to benefit from prices set for a fourth straight monthly gain, according to the Soybean Processors Association of India. Association's coordinator Rajesh Agrawal said sales to Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Thailand and China may total 400,000 tonnes in October, compared with 218,247 tonnes a year earlier. He said India’s soybean-meal exports may jump to 3.5 million tonnes in the year that began October 1, from 2.35 million tonnes last year.