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
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
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
China cancels U.S. pork import order as trade war drags on
Chicago | Reuters — The same week U.S. President Donald Trump announced sweeping increases on tariffs against Chinese goods, Chinese buyers dropped orders for 3,247 tonnes of U.S. pork — the biggest cancellation in more than a year, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data released on Thursday. The cancellation came during the week ended […] Read more
New Trump aid plan for U.S. farmers to rely on direct payments
Washington | Reuters — The Trump administration’s second package of aid for U.S. farmers hit by the trade war with China is expected to have a similar structure to last year’s program, using direct payments and commodity purchases, industry sources briefed on the plan said. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is still finalizing the plan, […] Read more
PED mystery unsolved, but outbreak may have ended
Officials hopeful there will be no new cases of deadly hog virus
Reading Time: 5 minutes Alberta’s lead veterinarians are cautiously optimistic the spread of a deadly hog virus has slowed — or maybe even stopped entirely. “It’s now been eight weeks since our last case of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv), and we’re ever hopeful that we will not be getting any more cases for the next while,” said Dr. […] Read more
Label problem caused China’s suspension of two pork shippers
Winnipeg/Ottawa | Reuters — China’s suspension of two Canadian pork exporters’ permits was due to a labeling problem, Canada’s agriculture minister said, adding that she was hopeful of it being resolved. China’s action against two Canadian pork companies, announced by Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau on Wednesday, widened a diplomatic rift between the countries. On Thursday, […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Lean hog futures lower, live cattle follow suit
Chicago | Reuters – U.S. hog futures declined on Monday on a mix of softer cash hog prices and technical selling after a run-up to contract highs earlier this month, traders said. Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures followed hogs lower. The benchmark June lean hogs contract fell roughly 3 percent, settling down 2.975 cents at 93.775 […] Read more
Thai CPF to acquire Canadian pork producer HyLife for $372 million
Bangkok | Reuters – Charoen Pokphand Foods Pcl (CPF), Thailand’s largest agriculture conglomerate, said on Monday it would acquire Canadian pork producer HyLife Investments for C$498 million ($372.7 million) to expand its North American business. The acquisition would make CPF a 50.1 percent owner of HyLife, with the remainder held by its Japanese partner, Itochu […] Read more
China finds more cases of African swine fever on Hainan island
Beijing | Reuters – China has detected new cases of African swine fever in six farms across four locations in Hainan province, the agriculture ministry said on Sunday, adding to two earlier cases of the contagious disease identified in the province on Friday. The disease, which is fatal to pigs but harmless in humans, has […] Read more
China eyes U.S. poultry, pork imports in trade talks
Reuters — China would likely lift a ban on U.S. poultry as part of a trade deal and may buy more pork to meet a growing supply deficit, but it is not willing to allow a prohibited growth drug used in roughly half the U.S. hog herd, two sources with knowledge of the negotiations said. […] Read more
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