Page 898 of articles about news

China's overseas purchases and imports of pork and pork products in calendar year 2008 were unprecedented for any single country in history. Based on import totals from China and Hong Kong, the country imported 1.925 million metric tons (4.2 billion pounds) of pork and pork products last year, including 1.161 million tons (nearly 2.6 billion pounds) of pork variety meats and 764,000 tons (1.7 billion pounds) of pork cuts.

Annual pig prices research by the German Pig Association (ISN) shows European Union producers got 13 percent more for their pigs last year than they did in 2007. However, pig costs rose significantly and that caused producer incomes all over Europe to be “vehemently in trouble”, says the association.

Very limited data related to the presence of CSFV in fresh meat have been generated after the implementation of a non-vaccination strategy. Therefore, a simulation modelling approach was developed to assess the risk of emergency vaccination on the safety of meat compared to the current control of CSF in domestic pigs without vaccination. It was concluded from the model that none of the strategies could reduce the risk to absolute zero.

South Africa has lifted trade restrictions imposed on Irish pork following the dioxin scare in December.

The Government last week submitted its application to the World Organization for Animal Health to remove most parts of Luzon island in the list of areas with foot and mouth disease (FMD), which would effectively facilitate domestic and international livestock trade.

Pig producers have been reminded that swill feeding is banned in Australia. Victorian Department of Primary Industries principal animal health officer Gerry Watt said the department had surveyed over 600 food waste outlets across the state and found most were aware it is an offence to supply food waste containing meat or contaminated by meat to anyone to feed to pigs.

Russia has banned meat imports from some Canadian, American, Uruguayan, Belarusian and Ukrainian enterprises, as Federal Agency for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Supervision of the Russian Federation (Rosselkhoznadzor) reports. The supply is to be suspended from February 6, 2009 in a view of detection of harmful forbidden substances in animal products supplied from the said enterprises.

EFSA’s FEEDAP Panel has adopted an opinion on the consequences for consumers of the use of vitamin A in animal feed, and recommended revised maximum levels in feed intended for the main food producing animals. It also recommended regulating complementary feeds, used in combination with other feed or forages, to avoid excessive levels of vitamin A as well as monitoring vitamin A in foods of concern such as liver, and providing suitable advice to help consumers avoid excessive intakes.

Government subsidies for premiums helped China's agricultural insurance sector more than double last year, the industry regulator said.

Per capita meat consumption in Russia grew by 12.5% up to 63 kilograms in 2008 compared to 2007,

Leo Cañeda, Department of Agriculture (DA) Regional Executive Director for Eastern Visayas, has confirmed that laboratory tests have shown that the cause of death of hogs in Sta. Rita town in Samar province was not due to hog cholera but from Salmonella infection.

According to information from the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock Farming, Rural Development, Fishing and Alimentation (SAGARPA), the food safety and quality sections will receive 66.3% more in the budget for 2009 (4,754 million pesos; equivalent to 275 million euros) than was granted for 2008 (2,859 million pesos). (Original in Spanish. Read Google translation here).

The German state of Rhineland-Palatinate has extended the risk zones regarding the presence of CSF in wild boars. (Original in German. Read Google translation here).

In 2008, meat production in the United Kingdom was down by 2% to 3.4 million tonnes. The only sector of meat production that registered increases was the swine sector which increased in 2008 by 1% to 600,000 tonnes. (Original in Spanish. Read Google translation here).