Winnipeg | Reuters — China’s decision to block imports of Canadian meat has set off a global chain reaction in pork trading but it will do little to curb overall demand as a disease ravaging the Chinese hog herd elevates prices, industry experts say. China said on Tuesday it wants the Canadian government to temporarily […] Read more

China’s shutout of Canadian meat scrambles global pork flow

Canada says bogus certificates being used to smuggle meat into China
Ottawa | Reuters — Unknown actors are using bogus certificates to smuggle Canadian meat into China, Trade Minister Jim Carr said on Wednesday, a day after Beijing halted beef and pork imports citing falsified paperwork. China, which has already blocked imports of Canadian canola seed and product from three pork plants, said on Tuesday it […] Read more

China to suspend pork imports from Quebec processor
Beijing | Reuters — China will block pork imports from a third Canadian firm after a shipment was found to contain the banned feed additive ractopamine, the customs agency said on Tuesday, deepening a trade and diplomatic dispute with Canada. The firm in question is Frigo Royal, the agency said on its Wechat account. Ractopamine […] Read more

No proof natural compound prevents swine fever, China ag ministry says
Beijing | Reuters — China’s ministry of agriculture said on Thursday a company which claimed a natural compound was effective in preventing African swine fever did not have government approval to research the virus and its assertions were not scientifically sound. Shopping mall operator Guangdong Highsun Group was questioned by the Shenzhen Stock Exchange earlier […] Read more

Increased Chinese inspections on Canadian meat for pork only
Ottawa | Reuters — Chinese plans to boost inspections of Canadian meat imports only affect pork rather than all meat products as the federal agriculture ministry initially stated, a Canadian government official said on Wednesday. A ministry notice seen by Reuters on Tuesday said the Canadian embassy in Beijing had been told Chinese customs agents […] Read more

China faces long struggle to tackle African swine fever, OIE says
Paris | Reuters — It will take years for China to contain the deadly African swine fever virus that has spread throughout the country, which is the world’s biggest pork producer, the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) said on Tuesday. China has been struggling to control the epidemic, which some analysts predict could see […] Read more

Canada, U.S. plan trade zones for whenever swine fever hits
Federal officials in Canada and the U.S. have agreed on zone defense, so to speak, to allow safe trade of hogs and pork products if African swine fever should turn up in hogs in either country. Canada’s chief veterinary officer Dr. Jaspinder Komal and U.S. CVO Dr. Jack Shere said Wednesday the two countries have […] Read more

Millennial couple takes outdoor hog farming to the next level
Reading Time: 5 minutes When Chris Fasoli exited his office job in 2015, he knew he wanted to do something different. After some soul-searching, he and wife Jessica decided they wanted to farm. The Fasoli family operation, run by Chris’s brother, had some grazing land available after selling off its cattle a couple of years earlier. But the couple […] Read more

Decimation of China’s hog herd has a silver lining for Canada
African swine fever outbreak fuelling price surge but if the disease comes here, it would be a nightmare
African swine fever outbreak fuelling price surge but if the disease comes here, it would be a nightmare
Reading Time: 5 minutes African swine fever could be a boon for the pork sector — if North American producers can keep the devastating disease at bay. “You always hate to make money at the expense of disease in other countries, but nonetheless, the opportunity is there,” said Brent Bushell, general manager of the Western Hog Exchange. The virulent […] Read more
U.S. to begin testing sick and dead pigs for African swine fever
Chicago | Reuters — The U.S. Department of Agriculture within weeks will begin testing sick and dead pigs for a hog virus that has killed herds across Asia in an effort to minimize devastation if the disease enters the United States, the agency said on Thursday. Increased testing aims to help U.S. officials detect cases […] Read more