Page 294 of articles about markets-economics

Canada´s pork sector continues to struggle, with production having shrunk to its lowest levels since 2000/01. This has largely resulted from an industry goal of cutting production by 18% by 2014, with the government paying farmers to cease raising hogs. Exports have particularly suffered in the wake of the rising Canadian dollar and recent restrictions on pork imports into the US. Consequently, many pig farmers have gone out of business.

Global pigmeat sector cannot regard 2009 as a successful year with prices plummeting in parallel to the fall of feed costs after the hikes of 2007-08 and due to the strong drop in global demand.

According to information published by Abiceps, so far this year, pork meat export sales have suffered an 8,15% decline in volume, going from 448.731 tons in the first nine months of 2009 to 412.168 tons in the same period of this year.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved higher blending rates for ethanol in gasoline for 2007 and newer vehicles, allowing mixtures with up to 15% of the corn-based fuel at the pump. The current maximum ethanol blend rate is 10%; a mid-level blend rate increase of 12% had been discussed in recent months.

Offal imports grew from 174,000 tonnes in the first six months of 2009 to 286,000 tonnes in the same period of 2010. Pork imports rose from 65,700 tonnes to 88,100 tonnes in the same period.

U.S. feed grain production for 2010/11 is projected lower this month based on reduced forecasts for corn and sorghum.

A new forecast from the Knowledge Centre for Pig Production shows that throughout the whole 2010-2012 period, deficits are expected for all types of pig farms.

Hong Kong has removed its ban on South Korean pork imports, becoming the first state to do so since Seoul was declared free of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD).