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June 15
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This website so far this month: total hits 186,399; total files 78,954; total pages 27,070; total visits 3,955.
European wheat harvest: smaller than last year
This year’s United Kingdom cereals crop is reported to be in good condition. As farmers increased plantings significantly, this should mean a large harvest.
The last time a crop of a similar size was harvested was in 2001. If production projections are realised, the 2008/09 balance sheet is likely to show a sizable exportable surplus and plenty of wheat for domestic use.
However, there are still concerns over global cereal production. Global wheat production is estimated to be only 2 percent (14m tonnes) higher than last year, at 610m tonnes, according estimates by the United States department of agriculture.
European Union production accounts for one-fifth of the total, but at 119m tonnes is predicted to be 4 percent lower on the year. Total usage in the European Union is predicted to be 5 percent lower but this will not be enough to offset the reduced output.
United States wheat production is forecast to be 14 percent higher at 56m tonnes, but a forecast 40 percent rise in exports is predicted to cut year-end stocks by half.
Australian wheat production is predicted to be 23 percent up. However rains in New South Wales, which produces around one-third of Australia’s wheat, have been less than expected. As a result new-crop production estimates could be downgraded.
Combined wheat production of China and India accounts for around one-third of global output. Most of their output is consumed on their domestic markets. Chinese production is forecast at 110m tonnes, only 1 percent up on 06-07 levels, and Indian output is estimated at 76m tonnes, a rise of 9 percent.
Global maize prices hit record levels last week.
Overall 8pc less grain was harvested in the United Kingdom last year compared to 2006. Wheat output showed the largest reduction - down 10pc (to 13.2m tonnes), following lower plantings and lower yields. Barley production continued the downward trend seen in recent years, falling to 5.1m tonnes.
There has been a 25pc rise in imports, compared to 2006-07. Wheat imports from August to March this year were up 35pc, exceeding 1m tonnes, which is nearly double the same period last year. The majority of the wheat was bought from Canada, the United Kingdom’s traditional source for high quality wheat. More wheat has also been imported from the United States and Germany.
Denmark’s loss is Germany’s gain
Trade in live pigs to Germany dropped 12 percent in the first quarter of this year, compared with a year ago, mainly because fewer slaughter pigs pigs are being sent from Holland. However imports of live weaners from Denmark have increased, partially offsetting the drop. The live pig trade with Holland could recover later this year; Germany’s processing costs are cheaper than Holland’s. Many of the three million slaughter pigs imported from the Netherlands each year are shipped back as meat.
Why Brussels wants meat-and-bonemeal on the menu
The term meat-and-bonemeal is not consumer-friendly, so the pig industry may want a new name for this important source of dietary protein. The processing industry has given a lead by using the Brussels-inspired term term ‘Pap’ - or Processed Animal Protein.
Humans eat only 68pc of a chicken, 62pc of a pig, 54pc of a cow and 52pc of a sheep. So every year more than 10m tonnes of meat not destined for human consumption, but derived from healthy animals, are produced in the European Union.
Following a scientific committee report, which concluded that the non-cannabilistic feeding of meat and bonemeal to pigs does not pose a health threat to humans, Brussels has proposed a revised set of rules for the use of animal by-products.
THE PROPOSAL Low risk (category 3) animal by-products may be used as feed material for farmed animals as long as no catering waste is included and it does not include processed animal protein from the same species. The proposal provides scope for using bovine-derived material in feed, but restrictions will apply.
The net result of the Brusels proposal should be to end the destruction of proteins that could usefully be used in feed, and to allow fats to be used as a sustainable source of fuel, as tallow used to be. It may also open the door to a greater financial contribution by government to the cost of collecting fallen stock.
As the proposals have now to be debated by the ministers of European countries and the European Parliament, it is not possible to be certain about the outcome, but the general tenor of the Brussels proposal is clear: it wants to free up the use of animal by-products in all situations where this can be done safely.
It suggests several ways of doing this, but a key proposals is that some animal by-products be moved from the medium risk category to low risk.
Another key proposal is that once by-products have been processed into a new product - they are no longer stigmatised by being labelled ‘waste’ products.
When it comes to using meat and bonemeal in animal diets, the European Parliament is likely to take its cue from the European Food Safety Authority, which finds that feeding meat and bonemeal to pigs and poultry is safe, as long as suitable caveats are put in place.
And if British farming minister Lord Rooker is anything to go by, ministers will be content to endorse this view.
‘I’m happy to go with the science,’ he said recently. ‘There is far more knowledge about the subject than there was ten years ago and if the science says, for instance, that meat and bonemeal from cattle can be fed to poultry, then I don’t think we can go against that.’
There is no suggestion that animal by-products from animals unfit for human consumption should be allowed in the feed chain.
There are a number of reasons why officials in the European Commission are keen to see the laws surrounding animal by-products overhauled. For instance, they fear that if no action is taken, the result will be disruption of trade with the rest of the world, and “severe negative socio-economic costs for operators” (ie. farmers and processors).
Whilst the Commission wishes to see liberalisation of the current European rules, it is adamant that third countries must reach Europe’s sanitary standards if they wish to export to European countries.
This is not overly important to the pig sector at present but could provide important protection in the future. Given the increasing tightening of pigmeat supplies on the continent, it could, in due course, become profitable for third countries to send pigmeat to Europe notwithstanding the 40p a kilo tariff wall.
The Commission wishes to change the current animal by-product rules from being pre-emptive to being risk-based. It proposes the introduction of an ‘end point’ in the life-cycle of animal by-products, at which point they become new, safe products in their own right and are no longer covered by, for instance, waste rules.
The Commission’s proposal stipulates that any material giving rise to a risk of transmissible spongiform encephalopathy must not be used for animal feed. Likewise all fallen stock should remain outside the food chain.
The Commission also makes proposals governing how animal by-products can be used as soil conditioners and fertilisers.
BACKGROUND, FROM PIG WORLD, FEBRUARY 2007
Meat-and-bonemeal will be back on the menu
This could be the year that Brussels admits its meat-and-bonemeal ban is unnecessarily harsh and puts the wheels in motion to allow poultry meat-and-bonemeal to be fed to pigs, and vice versa.
As well as reducing pig feed costs, this will make slaughterhouse by-products a source of profit again, as opposed to being a financial burden that’s passed down to pig producers.
In addition, Brussels is being urged to review its fallen stock rules and to agree a protocol for the safe disposal of pigs and poultry on farms.
It costs European pig producers an average £4 per 100 kilos of pig carcase to dispose of fallen stock, whilst the meat-and-bonemeal ban costs 50p per 100 kilos and the increase in soya prices costs £1 per 100 kilo.
These extra costs add up to a £116m burden on Europe’s pig producers.
Add in the costs imposed by Europe’s environment, animal welfare, energy and labour legislation, and it is easy to see why it costs less than 50p a kilo to produce pigmeat in Brazil, but 84 pence a kilo to produce it in the European Union.
Yet this distortion of competition cannot be openly discussed in World Trade Organisation negotiations because it would immediately be refuted, since no scientific evidence is available to support the meat-and-bonemeal ban for pigs and the ban on burying fallen stock.
Six years after the BSE crisis, Europe’s animal by-products regulation, which was transposed into British law in 2005, is increasingly looking like a knee-jerk reaction as far as pigs and poultry are concerned.
Both were heavily exposed to bovine spongiform encephalopathy prions during the height of the crisis yet there has not been a single case of contamination in either species. It is now generally accepted there is no measurable risk from ‘mad cow disease’ to pigs and poultry.
Some livestock producers are convinced that Brussels’ insistence on carcase collection in place of on-farm burial of fallen stock was really intended to compensate renderers for the ban on meat-and-bonemeal in animal diets.
They wonder why - if on-farm burial of pigs and poultry is so dangerous - there are derogations for remote farming areas, for outbreaks of serious diseases such as foot-and-mouth, and for dead pets.
There may now be a gradual realisation in Brussels that enforced carcase collection and the meat-and-bonemeal ban have put pig and poultry producers at a major competitive disadvantage with the rest of the world.
These are both sectors that receive no aid or production premium, operate on very narrow margins, and face major barriers to their development due to legislation on the environment, animal welfare and health issues, says the European Economic and Social Committee, which plays a key role in the European Union's decision-making process.
The committee is urging Brussels to fast-track current studies (which are finding no evidence of risk to human health from feeding meat-and bonemeal from non-ruminants to pigs and poultry) so that by-products from healthy animals that have been slaughtered in separate abattoirs can once again be used in pig and poultry diets.
There is a proviso though: the proteins used must be traceable to give consumers a cast-iron guarantee that pigs are fed on meat meal exclusively from the by-products of poultry, and that poultry is fed on meat meal exclusively from the by-products of pigs.
When meat-and-bonemeal is reintroduced to pig and poultry diets it could represent a watershed in livestock farmers’ relationship with the European Commission.
Its reintroduction will be seen as a tacit admission by Brussels that Europe’s unilateral raising of food production standards may have gone a bridge too far and that maintaining higher standards is only possible if animal production continues in Europe.
Both the meat-and-bonemeal ban and the on-farm burial ban have distorted competition with third countries. For some producers, these measures were the final straw that caused them to quit.
In particular the meat-and-bonemeal ban was a major blow. Pig producers lost an important source of feed protein. The price of vegetable proteins shot up, causing a sharp rise in feed prices.
At the same time, slaughterhouse by-products went from being a source of profit to being a financial burden.
More than half a decade after the BSE crisis it is becoming plain that as far as pigs and poultry are concerned, the meat-and-bonemeal ban has no basis in science and that Europe should do what it can to redress the economic damage it has caused.
‘Banning the use of animal protein in feedingstuffs for pigs, poultry and fish has led to significantly higher production costs in Europe and has consequently caused further problems of distortion of competition vis-à-vis other countries such as Brazil, Argentina and the USA, for example, where the use of animal protein is authorised,’ says the European Economic and Social Committee.
‘These higher costs have had consequences at various levels, with slaughterhouse by-products no longer being a benefit, because they now entail destruction costs, and with increased demand for vegetable protein leading to higher prices and consequently higher feed prices.’
The European Commission’s official stance on the reintroduction of non-ruminant mammalian meals is that it may be allowed if the outcome from its current test programme is satisfactory. The programme is due to be completed next year.
June 14
Porkwatch results for May
British share of pigmeat on retailers shelves remains fairly static. Around three-quarters of pork is home-produced which, against a background of tightening supply, can be seen as a positive. Bacon and ham shares have nudged forward in recent months but still refuse to break the 40pc barrier. The best overall movers this time are Aldi (Quality Standard Mark pork), Budgens (Quality Standard Mark bacon and sausage) and M&S (bacon, ham and sausage).
Saints and sinners — fresh pork
Bsed on percentage of British facings
EXCELLENT 1. Budgens, Waitrose, M&S, GOOD 2. Co-op 3. Morrisons 4. Sainsbury’s, BELOW AVERAGE 5. Tesco 6. Asda, POOR 7. Netto 8. Somerfield, DISMAL 9. Aldi 10. Lidl
Saints and sinners — bacon
Based on percentage of British facings
ABOVE AVERAGE 1. Budgens 2. Waitrose 3. M&S 4. Tesco 5. Co-op 6. Sainsbury’s, BELOW AVERAGE 7. Morrisons 8. Asda 9. Somerfield 10.Netto
Saints and sinners - ham
Based on percentage of British facings
ABOVE AVERAGE 1. Budgens 2. Waitrose 3. Sainsbury’s 4. M&S, BELOW AVERAGE 5. Tesco 6. Somerfield 7. Asda 8. Co-op 9. Aldi 10. Lidl 11. Netto
Saints and sinners - sausages
Based on percentage of British facings
EXCELLENT 1. Budgens, ABOVE AVERAGE 2. M&S
3. Waitrose
4. Sainsbury’s, BELOW AVERAGE 5. Tesco
6. Co-op
7. Somerfield
8. Asda
9. Morrisons
10. Netto
11. Lidl
12. Aldi
GOLD STANDARD PERFORMERS Waitrose, M&S, Budgens Budgens have seen positive movements in Quality Standard Mark use on bacon (77pc) and sausages (54pc) whilst retaining their overall support in all categories. M&S are at 100pc on pork, but are showing record gains in British shares of bacon (69pc), ham (68pc) and sausage (94pc). Waitrose continue to be consistently high.
Morrisons Fresh pork successes continue and whilst there are few movements in the other products it is hoped these will increase in future months as the Spalding plant comes on line and is expanded.
Sainsbury's Overall the British situation is static, but increases in facings of Quality Standard Mark continue on pork and sausages.
Co-op Despite assurances of continued support for British, Porkwatch auditors have recorded drops of pork (83pc) and bacon (39pc) identified as British. Whilst use of the Quality Standard Mark on pork is still excellent, and it is not being suggested that products are not British, the identification of British is being omitted.
Tesco A slight improvement in pork but a continued decline in bacon. Within this, levels for Quality Standard Mark are following the same trend.
Asda An erosion of British share of pork can be seen, to 70pc, which is slightly below the market average. On bacon there is a slight fall in British, but a slight increase in use of the Quality Standard Mark. Ham sees a slight rise in British as a result of the launch of a new standard-plus range of regional British products.
Somerfield Apart from a slight resurgence on sausages there is little progress and as previously reported an imminent sale would be good for the pig industry.
Hard discounters (Aldi, Lidl, Netto) Aldi has recorded a 68pc British figure for the first time with 77pc of this using the Quality Standard Mark, a big breakthrough. For Lidl the share of sausage identified as British continues to fall, to 30pc. Last period’s success on pork in Netto has been lost with share of British returning to 41pc, but growth can be seen in sausages, up to 39pc.
Oudoor pigs carry more food-borne pathogens
Pigs raised without antibiotics are more likely to carry bacteria and parasites responsible for food borne illness, according to researchers at Ohio State University.
During a study, pigs raised outdoors without antibiotics had higher rates of three food-borne pathogens. Animal-friendly, outdoor farms tend to have a higher occurrence of salmonella, as well as higher rates of parasitic disease, according to lead study author Wondwossen Gebreyes.
More than half the pigs on antibiotic-free farms tested positive for salmonella, compared to 39 percent of conventionally raised pigs infected with the bacterial pathogen.
Toxoplasma gondii parasite was detected in 6.8 percent of antibiotic-free pigs, compared to 1.1 percent of conventionally raised pigs.
Two naturally raised pigs of the total 616 sampled tested positive for Trichinella spiralis, a parasite considered virtually eradicated from conventional United States pork production.
As long as pork is cooked thoroughly, the presence of these infectious agents in should pose no risk to human health.
Pig crude needs further refinement
Experiments to turn pig slurry into ‘petrol’ - first highlighted on this page a year ago - have hit a problem: the fuel, which in theory could be made available on garage forecourts, stinks. ‘Pig crude’ is being developed by University of Illinois researcher Yuanhui Zhang who uses heat and pressure to transform organic compounds into a thick black liquid that resembles crude oil. A sample of this fuel has been submitted to the United States National Institute of Standards and Technology. Examiners say it smells bad and a way needs to be found to get more water out.
Power shortage may close abattoir
Western Australia's largest pig abattoir may close because of a power shortage caused by an explosion that slashed the state's natural gas supplies by 30 percent.
Releasing to the atmosphere just a small fraction of the carbon currently stocked in Europe’s soils risks wiping out all the steps other sectors of the economy are taking to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, says Europe’s environment commissioner Stavros Dimas.
Good soil management is pivotal to combating climate change
Soil organic matter is the second biggest carbon pool in the planet after the oceans. There are more than 70 billion tonnes of organic carbon in Europe’s soils. This compares with total emissions by European Union countries of around 1.5 billion tonnes of carbon annually.
There is data to suggest large amounts of carbon from soil organic matter have already been lost to the atmosphere in the recent past, according to Europe's environment commissioner, Stavros Dimas. One of the causes may be long term changes in land management practices driven by changing economic circumstances.
“We have, for instance, over the past century or so, completely mechanised and streamlined many of our farming systems, specialising production and simplifying management.
"In making these changes, most of which have brought strong socio-economic benefits, we have taken our eyes off what is happening to soil.
“It now appears, that slow and gradual reductions in soil organic matter may have taken place, almost insignificant in themselves at field level but very significant when taken as a whole in terms of carbon emissions, and the atmosphere, of course, makes no distinction regarding the origin of carbon dioxide insofar as climate change is concerned.”
But long term changes in land management are only part of the picture.
Changes in rainfall patterns and increases in average temperatures brought about by climate change are also playing a role. A rise in global temperature accelerates carbon losses from the soil, driving up the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Changes in rainfall patterns contribute to an increase in erosion in vulnerable soils.
“Climate change will thus put further pressure on soil quality and will increase the risk of desertification, which is already affecting the southern member states and is expected to move gradually northward," says Dimas.
“It is therefore more urgent than ever to act in favour of appropriate policies and practices that favour maintaining or even increasing soil organic matter levels.
"If we manage to do that – and we have to do it now – we have at our disposal a formidable tool for sequestering carbon and supporting the achievement of the targets we have set ourselves to combat climate change. The more organic carbon we keep in or add to the soil, the less carbon dioxide we will have in the atmosphere.
“This will not only mitigate global warming, it will also diminish desertification risks, thereby sustaining agricultural production and allowing us to keep feeding the ever growing world population.”
• Brussels is proposing to introduce legislation on soil management.
Soil Protection Review
If 2008 is not the first year you have claimed the Single Payment Scheme, then you should already be implementing your Soil Protection Review, as it is a requirement of cross compliance. You are required to review your Soil Protection Review at least once a year. You should also review it if it becomes clear that measures you choose are not working or you have taken on new land or where management practices or enterprises have changed since the last review. Further information: http://www.nfuonline.com/x3460.xml.
Cash boost for biomass heat and electricity generation
Farmers, foresters and biomass producers can apply for up to £200,000 each under a new round of grants launch by Defra this week. The Bio-energy Infrastructure Scheme will support the biomass industry in England helping those supplying biomass fuel for use in heat and electricity generation. More.
Fuel prices
Brussels is likely to suggest to ministers next week that temporary and non-distorting “targeted support” be allowed to shield the most deprived sectors of the population from soaring fuel costs. According to president Jose Barroso, rising fuel prices are squeezing the purchasing power of everyone in the European Union, with the strongest impact on the lowest paid. “I believe that through a structured response at European Union level – possibly combined with targeted social policy measures by member states – we can meet the challenge.” Household spending on energy and food in Europe accounts, on average, for about 10pc and 20pc of income respectively.
Fuel prices
Submitted by Rod Tuck. This is a petition on the E-petition section of the official Downing Street website. It was reported the other day that BP and shell were making £3 million an hour profit... so why should the prices be so high? Every vote counts! http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Lowerduty30/
Ian Campbell receives MBE
Ian Campbell who retired from the National Pig Association as regions manager this year following a 38 year career in the pig industry has received an MBE in the birthday honours list for services to the pig industry and the voluntary sector.
In response to receiving the award Ian said, “I am very honoured to receive the MBE and see this as recognition of having been associated with the struggles of the pig industry through a variety of crises and changing market conditions. It’s been a long fight and I believe the real recognition should go to the many people in the industry who have taken the battle to the wider public and in doing so taken their time and effort away from their farms and businesses.
“We recently hosted the European Pig Producers Congress in Norwich and I was proud to see the number of pig producers from across Europe who came together to exchange views and ideas. It is positive for the future to see increasing links being forged between our younger generation of farmers and their European neighbours.
“We have had a number of successes over the years that I could not have shared in without the whole hearted support of the industry. However it should not be forgotten that there have been many casualties along the way. I hope that the recent increases in global commodity prices will help focus the minds of retailers and processors in sitting down with producers to develop genuine sustainable pigmeat supply chains.”
Stewart Houston CBE, NPA chairman, and chairman of the British Pig Executive, said “Ian has been a spokesman for the industry through some of its toughest times. He has the trust of producers, the allied industry and government due to his integrity and straight forward approach, he’s a good friend to us all and it is great to see him honoured in this way”.
Barney Kay, NPA general manager, said, “There’s not a pig farmer in the country that won’t be delighted to hear that Ian has received this recognition for the hard graft he’s put in over the years on behalf of the industry. His rare blend of wisdom and humour has often coaxed a more moderate line from government officials.”
Photo by: Richard Longthorp.
June 13
Import duties to stay
Mariann Fischer Boel today announced the suspension of cereal import duties will remain in force for the next marketing year - which will end on June 30, 2009, unless market conditions justify their reintroduction before that date.
'Pigs Are Worth It Campaign' to be stepped up
Neither pig producers, nor those who represent them, should be complacent as a result of recent rises in the pig price, said producer Richard Longthorp today, in a Pigs Are Worth It Campaign conference call.
“We still need to recoup our losses of the last 12 months,” he stressed. “Wheat has come down in price but soya is still strong and compounders will want to recoup some of their own extra charges, so there remains a seriously big challenge facing producers.”
NPA and BPEX chairman Stewart Houston is also concerned to ensure that processors and retailers understand that pig producers are still in crisis. “A spot price of 140p may look like a bonanza but we need 140p or more for the next year just to cover our increased cost of production,” he said.
As a result of the more insidious threat now facing pig producers — that retailers, processors and consumers will think the industry is home and dry — the Pigs Are Worth It Campaign, far from being stepped down, will be escalated.
The Campaign will increasingly stress the importance of building a sustainable supply chain for British pigmeat.
Young NPA dinner
If you are youngish in pig industry terms, this invitation is for you, even though it falls on a school night. Young NPA is holding a dinner at the Ramada Hotel (Fairfield Manor), York, on Thursday 10 July.
Guest speaker will be Rick Sanderson, pork chain business development manager for PIC (UK), who will talk about meat quality, carcass balance and factors that influence consumer buying preferences.
Lis Ravn of BPEX is organising the event, and dinner will be provided free. It will be a good opportunity to talk over events in the pig industry and to make new contacts.
"The event is open to all young(ish) people in the industry," says NPA's Zoe Davies. "You don't have to be a member of Young NPA to attend." Interested? Contact Zoe or Lis.
Indoors or outdoors? Pig industry offers consumers a choice
Researchers for a Jamie Oliver television series are looking closely at the British pig industry with a view to making British pigs the subject of the chef’s next big campaign (as highlighted on this page recently).
NPA‘s Barney Kay arranged for them to see David Morgan’s high-welfare indoor pigs in Yorkshire. He wanted them to understand that it would be inaccurate to label indoor pigs bad and outdoor pigs good; they should see the two methods of raising pigs as the industry’s way of offering choice to consumers.
He also wanted them to be aware of the differences between indoor production in Britain compared to indoor production on the continent.
“Some humans live in cities, cheek by jowl, whilst others choose to live more extensively in the countryside,” said producer Richard Longthorp today. "It doesn’t mean to say that one way is better or worse than the other, and it is the same with pigs.”
If Jamie Oliver’s television programme does major on the pig industry, it has the potential to be extremely helpful to the industry. However there is an awareness in the industry that almost all television programmes look for sensation and like to polarise issues — so there is also a significant element of risk that the publicity will not be all good.
Retailers and meat and bonemeal
One of the Big Four retailers is muttering about moving to 100 percent outdoor pork. Another is keen to take pigs only from units that don’t use farrowing crates. One has indicated it might ban processed animal protein in the diets of the pigs it buys (when dietary processed animal proteins are reintroduced in the not too-distant future).
These behind-the-scenes developments indicate that meat buyers have still not fully grasped the enormity of the new world order, where valuable and safe sources of protein cannot be overlooked by producers, or indeed governments, and where the British pig industry is now too small to serve some niche welfare markets.
A quick phone poll of producers today suggests that having seen the duplicity of retailers in importing cheap pigmeat from the stalls-and-castration systems common on the continent, producers will not go along with any retailer ban on farrowing crates and dietary processed animal protein — unless a significant ongoing premium is on the table.
Wales could go it alone
Small abattoirs are a key part of the rural community and maintaining current slaughtering capacity is vital, according to Welsh Assembly rural affairs minister Elin Jones, who has pledged to do whatever she can to keep local abattoirs open — even going it alone and providing Wales-only support if need be. She was responding to fears expressed by Brian George, who runs a small slaughterhouse at the rear of his butcher's shop in Talgarth and whose current meat hygiene charges of around £5,000 a year could soar to as much as £25,000 if Food Standards Agency proposals get the go ahead later in the year.
Investigation into United States biodiesel imports
The European Union has today started anti-subsidy and anti-dumping investigations into imports of biodiesel from the United States. Examination by the European Commission of complaints lodged by European industry found that an investigation was warranted — sufficient evidence was provided of subsidies to the United States biodiesel sector, as well as dumping of biodiesel in the European market. The complainant has argued that this has had an adverse effect on the European biodiesel industry. A detailed investigation by the Commission will now determine whether measures are justified under European Union trade rules.
Who will feed the world?
France, which takes over the European Union presidency next month, has organised, with the European Commission and the European Parliament, a conference "Who will feed the world?", on July 3, in Brussels.
Recent increases in food prices are having a dramatic impact on the world's poorest populations. The European Commission recently adopted on a communication (published here) outlining the European response to mitigate the effects of rising food prices. The European Council will discuss the effects of rising food prices next week.
Marketing group buys Porcofram
BOCM Pauls has sold Porcofram Marketing to Thames Valley Cambac. Thames Valley will now handle over 20 percent of available British pigs.
Thames Valley Cambac's increased critical mass in a marketing sector that is reducing in size will enable the group to build on its relationships with processor customers for the benefit of its producer members, said Thames Valley Cambac chairman producer Charles Allen this morning.
BOCM Pauls will keep Porcofram’s marketing software, which supports over 20 percent of all pigs marketed in Britain.
Alongside the company’s Pig Monitor and Growth Model systems it provides a range of technical solutions available to the industry and strengthens the company’s support to its feed customers, said Tony Suckling, director of pig marketing.
Thames Valley Cambac’s acquisition of Porcofram is a result of ongoing consolidation in the British pig industry and increasing concentration into fewer hands at both processor and producer level.
Following a review, BOCM Pauls concluded that critical mass had become an increasingly important issue and either a partnership or consolidation with a similar minded business would provide the best long term opportunities.
“Following a positive proposal from Thames Valley Cambac - the leading independent farmer-owned pig marketing co-operative - the decision has been taken to sell the marketing business to them, thus creating a marketing group handling over 20 percent of available British pigs,” said BOCM Pauls director Jonathan Farnhill.
According to Thames Valley Cambac general manager Andrew Stockings the acquisition will give the marketing sector a renewed impetus to overcome “the lows of recent times”.
l NPA Trade Directory l Mechanical data l National Pig Association l Defra l BBC weather l
l Environment Agency l Food Standards Agency l Quality Meat Scotland l Scottish Executive l
Pig World , PO Box 100, Benniworth, Market Rasen LN8 6LE, United Kingdom