Flying the Flag in the west
[27 Sep 07]
Find Us in Asia
[27 Sep 07]
Global threat to pork industr
[27 Sep 07]
Certification updates
[03 Aug 07]
JSR brings the pig world to Yorkshire
[07 Jul 07]
Harper Adams College and JSR team up for new research
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EBLEX beefs up eating quality
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Meat Industry Figures
[02 Jul 07]
Into Africa
[27 Mar 07]
One million pounds we didn't have a year ago!
[27 Mar 07]
What's happening to British calf numbers and price
[25 Mar 07]
Sauvignon Reigns in France
[24 Mar 07]
Nine Hereford bulls go to France
[24 Mar 07]
Herefords return to Germany and France
[27 Feb 07]
"British Livestock" a new magazine
[23 Feb 07]
Export boost for Aberdeen-Angus
[11 Feb 07]
Sexed Limousin Semen - a world first!
[11 Feb 07]
Animal welfare in transport: new EU rules enter into force
[5 Jan 07]
Opportunities in the genetics of cattle health and beef production
[4 Jan 07]
Charolais genetics exported down under
[11 Dec 06]
British Charolais makes breed debut in Romania
[17 Oct 06]
Counting sheep - UK/USA
[08 Oct 06]
Boom Time for British Breeding Pig Exports
[06 Oct 06]
New Pig Centre Links Farm to Lab
[06 Oct 06]
Encouraging signs from UK Pig Census
[09 Sept 06]
New semen sexing technology
[06 Sept 06]
WeideFestival - First steps back into Europe
[21 August 06]
Expointer And 100 Years of Devons in Brazil
[10 August 06]
First British Charolais & Limousin semen exported to Mexico
[10 August 06]
JSR plays a major role in Polish pig expansion
[7 August 06]
Limousins are first British cattle into Poland
[7 August 06]
Aberdeen-Angus export breakthroughs
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Gene markers boost performance
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Tiger economy in sheep's clothing
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Strong Start for English Beef Exports
[6 June 06]
Facts at your fingertips!
[22 May 06]
Beefing up exports to Switzerland
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Tally-ho! Sensible eco-friendly tallow decision
[27 Apr 06]
Danish breeding pig exports up 15% in 2004/05
[24 Apr 06]
There's animal welfare UK style or other styles
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BSE: UK beef embargo to be lifted.
[08 Mar 06]
UK venture targets pigs in the east
[27 Feb 06]
Cogent Sexed Semen - A globally proven product
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Meat imports drop in UK as production soars
[09 Feb 06]
Nice, if you can get it!
[17 Jan 06]
Newdawn for the British pig industry
[13 Jan 06]
SWALEX Success as Cumbrian sheep arrive in Estonia
[22 Dec 05]
British Global Genetic Giants to merge
[29 Oct 05]
Cattle exports going well for European countries
[29 Oct 05]
Birth Data Highlight Beef Herd Changes
[8 July 05]
Semen Exports’ £7 million boom
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Britbreed joins forces with CBS Technologies under the umbrella of Innovis™
[14 June 05]
Sympa and Goldies Terence arrive in Oz, and more Opera [6 June 05]
Firsts for British rare breeds pigs
[27 May 05]
Genus reopens Brazil’s door to cattle semen exports
[25 Apr 05]
National UK Dairy database launched for performance & welfare improvement
[21 Apr 05]
Red faces? No, yet more sheep breeding developments in Britain!
[18 Apr 05]
British Pig Association Active in Asia [15 Apr 05]
UK now a moderate risk BSE area [22 Mar 05]
British Ambience draws international crowds at SIA
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Onwards in Black and White
[21 Mar 05]
Livestock Links Forged with distant Nagaland
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New UK dairy genetics testing programme for "Grazing Kings"
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Beef and lamb sales in Britain soar
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Nice Limousin calves Downunder!
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Fourth proven Montbeliarde joins Genus stud
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Dream team for Charollais sires
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Bull prices follow performance, yet again!
[2 Nov 04]
Click on any of the news stories above for further information
Pork producers across the world, including the British Pig Executive (BPEX), have joined forces to tackle the threat to the industry posed by rocketing feed prices. Representatives of major national pork bodies met at the 4th International Meat Secretariat (IMS) World Pork Conference in Nanjing, China, which finished last week.
Wheat prices, one of the main constituents of pig feed, have doubled over the last 12 months and pig producers need a rise in what they are paid or the industry will go into meltdown. At present they are losing anything up to GB£26 (US$52) for every pig they send to slaughter.
BPEX Chief Executive Mick Sloyan, who is also vice-chairman of the IMS Pork Committee, was in the group which drew up a joint statement on the crisis. The statement reads: "Immediate lifts in wholesale and retail prices, and producer returns, are required for industry survival. The most significant issue is that of feed costs, which for most producers represent more than 70% of pork production costs.
"The worldwide grain price explosion is a result of poor harvests associated with difficult climatic conditions, but the most significant impact has been caused by the massive growth in demand for grain to produce biofuels, aggravated by many countries subsidising this production.
"Producer delegates spanning four continents said they are currently carrying substantial losses on every pig produced, a large number of producers are leaving the industry and more will follow. Producers are looking at all options to increase efficiency but in the short term those efficiency gains will fall far short of what is required to stop the significant losses occurring. "Producers see two possible scenarios unfolding. Firstly, a significant drop in production worldwide due to cutbacks, followed by a dramatic increase in wholesale and retail prices, well above current levels as has been observed in China over the last year.
"The second scenario is to work with consumers, the food service sector, and retailers to increase prices paid to producers now. Increasing producer prices now, would allow production to be maintained and would mean that wholesale and retail prices would not need to increase so greatly in the medium term. "This scenario appears to be the best for all parties. Consumers will still have pork available at reasonable prices, the food service sector and retailers will be able to satisfy their customers with adequate supplies and farmers will be able to continue in business."
Producers are calling on consumers, these sectors to provide that support immediately and will be talking to retailers in their respective countries to explore how this can be done."
The organisations involved are: Canadian Pork Council, British Pig Executive, South African Pork Producers Organisation, New Zealand Pork Industry Board, Australian Pork Ltd, Nederlandse Vakbond Varkenshouders (Dutch Union of Pig farmers), the LTO, the Dutch Federation of Agriculture and Horticulture and the French Porcine National Federation, FNP.
Mick Sloyan said: "It is a problem of worldwide concern which must be tackled on a global basis. "We have already seen a start to pig meat price rises in some shops and supermarkets in Britain but it is vital those rises get back down the supply chain to the producer as fast as possible."
[27 Sept 07]
