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The Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Trade has published figures concerning foreign trade of food products in 2008. There was a surplus of 810.8 million euros as a result of exports to the value of 26,787.4 million euros and imports of 25,976.6 million euros. (Original in Spanish. Read Google translation here).

Confidence is key in time of crisis and to achieve this, governments should clean banks’ balance sheets, signal that individual stimulus packages are closely knitted together into a global joint effort, demonstrate that leaders of major economies can work together in full coordination and trust, and show that the world trade environment is not deteriorating, that isolationist pressures are contained. That was the message Director-General Pascal Lamy delivered to a conference in Seoul, Republic of Korea, on 23 February 2009.

"Purchases have shifted from pork to chicken, which are more moderately priced than beef," the article quoted Masaharu Watanabe, head of public relations and consumer affairs for the Japan Chain Stores Association (JCSA), as saying.

During the first six weeks of 2009 Dutch exports of piglets have increased by 9% compared to the previous year. One of the causes of this increase is that since January 2009 Holland is considered to be free from Aujesky's disease. (Original in German. Read Google translation here).

English sow numbers declined by eight per cent in the year to June 2008. Between the middle of 2008 and the end of the year, feed prices moved lower. As a result, estimated net margins moved from negative to positive (albeit a small positive) in the autumn. Producers have appeared to respond to the margin improvements more rapidly than expected The English breeding herd in December was 8,000 head higher then in June, although still 6,000 (1.6%) lower than in December 2007.

At the beginning of 2009 the number of sows in Canada was 7.1% lower than at the same time the previous year. It seems that the federal programme for the elimination of sows has produced results, although the target was a decrease of 10%. (Original in French. Read Google translation here).

In its quarterly "Outlook for U.S Agricultural Trade" report USDA cut its U.S. pork export forecast for 2009 by 200,000 metric tons ($600 million) to 1.3 million metric tons and compared to 1.53 million metric tons exported in 2008. Forecasts for beef, broiler meat and beef and pork variety meat exports, however, were left unchanged.

The AASV and National Pork Board recently reviewed and revised the document, On-Farm Euthanasia of Swine - Recommendations for the Producer. The new 20-page booklet is designed to help producers make appropriate decisions regarding euthanasia of swine. It highlights methods of euthanasia recommended for different sizes of pigs, and outlines the factors to be considered when selecting a method for use.

The European Commission adopted today a Regulation providing a derogation to the zero-tolerance approach in case of the detection of bone fragments due to environmental contamination of feed materials of plant origin (for example from rabbits or mice). The regulation is needed because improvements in laboratory performance have made it possible to detect the adventitious presence of bone fragments, particularly in tuber and root crops due to environmental contamination.

Twenty-four pork plant workers in Minnesota and Indiana who developed a mysterious neurological disorder after being exposed to mist from liquefied pig brains have improved, but all still have some symptoms and many still have mild pain, a new study says. Researchers will present the study at the American Academy of Neurology's annual meeting in Seattle, which opens April 25.

The Voronezh regional legislature unanimously confirmed Agriculture Minister Alexei Gordeyev as Voronezh governor Thursday, Interfax reported. He is to assume the post on March 14, when Governor Vladimir Kulakov's term expires.

The Philippine government indicated this week that it will maintain current rules for the administration of its tariff rate quota (TRQ) for pork, preserving U.S. access to a fast-growing market for U.S. pork exports.

Saskatchewan's agriculture minister has announced a 71 million dollar program to assist the province's cattle and hog producers and called on the federal government to provide additional support.

The number of piglets shrunk from 1.9 million to 1.7 million – a 12.9% drop. The number of younger pigs (-50 kg) decreases as well, by 2.7% to approximately 4.9 million. (Original in Dutch. Read Google translation here).

Foot-and-mouth disease hit another Mekong Delta Can Tho province of Vietnam, raising the number of infected provinces to ten, according to Department of Animal Health under Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on Wednesday.

A government panel on food safety on Tuesday approved a draft report that concluded meat from cloned cattle and pigs is as safe as that from animals born through conventional reproduction techniques.