No, we’re not talking about the Chinese New Year, we’ve already had that. But even though this isn’t the year of the pig in the Chinese Zodiac, a new age for China’s pork industry has begun! The new cycle started in mid 2022, following a year with great losses for the industry. This new era, however, will see less price volatility and more government monitoring, according to a new report from Rabobank.

• From January 2003 to June 2022, there have been five full, three to four-year cycles, but n...

Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) live cattle futures ended higher on Friday, September 2. The cause was expectations of higher cash cattle prices due to Monday’s federal US Labor Day holiday: while workers were taking a rest, futures were working their way up!

• CME October live cattle futures settled up, and CME October feeder cattle followed. 
• The dollar cooled, supporting commodities, and data showed the US labor market is starting to loosen. 

The cash market is going to stay firm – or ...

In the first seven months of 2022, Brazilian exports were faced with a 5% decline compared with a year earlier. 

• Brazilian exports have fallen in China, but even so, the Asian country remains its main destination – taking nearly a third of Brazil’s pig meat exports.

As with the UK (see the news above) and so many other exporters, diversification has been the order of the day with China. And Brazil’s pig meat exports to other Asian countries have grown. 

• Notable increases include exports...

Asia remained an important destination for UK red meat exports during the first half of the year. And despite challenges in the market, China remains the largest importer of UK pork.

• From January to June, more than half of the UK’s pig meat was exported to non-EU countries and imported by China, followed by the Philippines.
• Japan is also becoming a valuable export market for the UK’s red meat sector, with shipments of both pork and beef significantly up from last year.

Asian markets conti...

Do you know what great swine veterinarians have in common? They listen to the Swine Health Blackbelt – the podcast that digests all the latest research in swine health into 9-minute episodes. It’s ideal for staying up to date in an easy, fast, straightforward, and smart way.

• In the latest episode, our host, Dr. Clayton Johnson, talks to Seth Melson about rotavirus. Without an effective commercial vaccine solution, it continues to be a problem for the swine industry. But do you know how feedin...

There is a strong demand for US pork both at home and abroad. And the largest bump in sales is from Colombia. Despite being left behind over the past decades, the per capita consumption of pork there has been increasing and has surpassed fish and beef to become the second most consumed protein in 2021.

• Trade in US agricultural products to Colombia expanded even further after the pandemic.

While a large percentage of the exported pork is used for further processing, the US industry has made...

Russian consumer prices extended their decline for the eighth week in a row – and they have the seasonal drop in fruit and vegetable prices, sluggish consumer demand, and the ruble's strengthening over the past few months to thank for it.

• The dip was 0.16%.
• The decline may open the door for more rate cuts by the central bank, which has indicated it is ready to consider further monetary easing to help the economy. 
• Despite the recent incremental declines in the CPI, prices for almost everyth...