Page 884 of articles about news

Farmers are being advised to make sure their insurance is up to scratch, following a spate of live animal thefts in the wake of rising meat prices. In the past month, 500 pigs were taken by rustlers from a farm in Staffordshire, 80 lambs and ewes were reported missing from Bridgewater, Somerset, and 20 sheep about to lamb disappeared from a field near Ulveston, Cumbria.

Meat imports to Russia declined more than two-fold in January – February. Pursuant to the data published yesterday, meat imports were down from 190.9 thousand tons ($498.6m) for two months last year to 95.6 thousand tons ($313.4m). Apart from that, poultry imports dropped from 162.3 to 87.8 thousand tons.

A wild pig that was killed by a producer has tested positive for pseudorabies. Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) is currently contacting producers in the area to alert them to the situation and to advise them of symptoms and preventative measures. A similar outbreak of pseudorabies was discovered in this area in early 2007.

Demand for locally produced meat is set to continue, with the latest research revealing that the UK market for regional and local food has increased by £1.3bn since 2003. According to research from Food Northwest, the UK local and regional food and drink sector grew from an estimated market size of £3.7bn in 2003 to £5bn in 2007 – a 35% growth.

The Philippines is reportedly pushing for the delay of the full implementation of the ASEAN Free Trade Agreement (AFTA) in light of the current global economic recession. According to Gregorio San Diego of the United Broilers and Raisers Association (UBRA), and Albert Lim of the National Federation of Hog Farmers, Inc. (NFHFI), the poultry, egg and hog industries, as well as the rice sector, are still not ready for the full implementation of AFTA by January 2010.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has recommended the government lower import taxes on animal feed to help farmers cut costs.

Confidence may be lacking in the English pig industry but there is certainly more optimism for the future than last year. The results of the latest BPEX confidence survey, which has been running since 2006, have just been analysed. While they show the industry as a whole is not too confident, producers are certainly more optimistic that they will have a better future.

Emerging farmers in the Eastern Cape are struggling to restock pig herds after the 2005 outbreak of swine fever forced them to cull all pigs. The Eastern Cape Department of Agriculture gave the go-ahead for a restocking programme, but so far hasn’t delivered on a promise to assist with building pig houses. A lack of funds is also hampering the restocking process. The biggest constraint is finance, according to Qeda Nyoka, the emerging farmer project manager at the South African Pork Producers’ Organisation (SAPPO).

The Government of Canada today launched a new program to help Canadian farmers and exporters sell more products to more international customers. This new Trade and Market Development Program is part of the new Growing Forward agricultural framework.

EFSA’s FEEDAP Panel has just published an opinion on the safety of ractopamine, a growth promoter used in animal feed in some countries outside the EU. EFSA’s FEEDAP Panel found weaknesses in the data underlying the JECFA assessment which would undermine any proposal for a maximum residue level for ractopamine. The Panel found that the study on cardiovascular effects in humans cannot be taken as a basis to derive an Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) of 0-1 micrograms per kilogramme of body weight per day as proposed by JECFA. EFSA consulted the Community Reference Laboratory responsible for beta-agonists and the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) and included the results of this process in its final opinion.

Mexico had become Japan’s fifth highest provider of swine meat, and the fourth in 2007, but last year Mexico failed to meet the assigned quota of 74,000 tonnes, only exporting 67,000 tonnes to Japan, according to reports from Mexico’s Pig Meat Exporters Association. (Original in Spanish).

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, during a recent trip to Missouri, announced more than $17 million in USDA grants are available under the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program. The Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program is an education, training, technical assistance and outreach program designed to help U.S. farmers and ranchers – specifically those who have been farming or ranching for less than 10 years.

The French interprofessional body Inaporc decided to create its own “rendering tax” designed to finance the collection of fallen stock on farms. This new CVO (Cotisation Volontaire Obligatoire) amounts to 22 € per ton, it will be collected by suppliers to retailers and restaurants.

The Scottish Government has hit out at Defra’s plans for Responsibility and Cost Sharing, claiming it is ‘wrong’ to pass costs on to the industry. The consultation has also raised fears that Scotland could lose its voice on European animal health matters if a new independent animal health body is appointed in England.