Page 767 of articles about news

The biggest and most important single cost for pig producers is feed; on average it accounts for almost 60% of total production costs. It is no exaggeration to state that global rises in the price of feed are the biggest threat to the sustainability of English high welfare pig production and processing.

The European Commission takes note of the publication today of the European Food Safety Authority's (EFSA) Guidance for the environmental risk assessment (ERA) of GM plants. The guidance is the primary tool for applicants when submitting applications for GM authorization and for Member States and EFSA when assessing the environmental risk of GM plants. It is expected to reach its final form after discussions – to be launched next month - between the Commission, Member States and stakeholders.

Over nine months of 2010, Ukraine imported 268,000 tons of meat and by-products, 17% less against the same period of 2009, while export of these products increased by 57% and made up over 37,000 tons, First Deputy Head of the State Customs Service Oleksandr Dorokhovskyi said.

The Chinese government has sold its second batch this year of frozen pork from state reserves to help stabilize prices, the Ministry of Commerce said on Nov. 10.

Market mechanisms to limit price volatility and speculation in the European livestock sector should be introduced urgently, say MEPs, as farmers are suffering a major crisis, partly due to rising costs of feed material, particularly cereals, which could lead to a significant fall in EU meat production. A combination of factors, including higher production costs (fuel, fertilisers and feed), greater competition from third countries, low prices paid to farmers and the high cost of complying with EU environment, animal health , food safety and labour criteria, is putting at risk the EU livestock sector. Parliament approved on Thursday, by show of hands, a resolution listing a number of recommendations to help improve the situation.

The latest swine census data from the month of October shows a 5,3% decrease in Danish swine herds, in comparison with the same period last year, reaching its lowest level in 10 years with a total of just 12 million animals.

A new pilot plant research facility that opened at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Guelph Food Research Centre (GFRC) will help Canadian farmers and consumers benefit from advances in food safety technologies. The upgrades to the facility were funded by the $1.15 million investment under the Modernizing Federal Laboratories Initiative of the Government of Canada's Economic Action Plan.

A vaccine against porcine circovirus (PCV) has been successfully developed in Henan Province and 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).

The investment, as well as the mergers, made during the last 10 years have led to the creation of large groups of slaughterhouses, usually multi-species, that operate in different countries and often include processing activities. Danish Crown, a witness to the continuing changes in the European slaughterhouse sector and holder of the second place title in 2009, has been situated in first place after last October’s acquisition of the German company, D&S Fleisch.