Cautious optimism appears to sum up the general global meat supply scene, with high prices and relatively buoyant export markets, delegates to the World Meat Congress (WMC) were told.
The European Commission has revealed plans to introduce a European Union (EU)-wide electronic import control system for certified organic meat (and other food) products – because the current paper-based system is too slow.
The UK’s leading animal health research group has been given a £38m boost to help it maintain its status as a world-leading centre in the battle against livestock diseases such as foot-and-mouth.
Denmark has announced a complete ban on exports of breeding pigs into Russian, Belarus and Kazakhstan after trade relations between Russia and the EU worsened.
With global meat exports on the rise, greater co-operation and understanding throughout the UK supply chain is vital if the sector is to overcome the challenges of tightening supplies, according to the UK’s beef and lamb levy body Eblex.
The index of poultry meat production in Russia has hit the levels predicted by industry representatives for the first quarter of 2012, leading them to claim that the country will become self-sufficient in poultry meat this year.
UK food producer Cranswick has reported strong underlying revenue growth after successfully recovering margins in the second half of the financial year.
Agro-industrial holding Bio-tone has announced plans to begin construction of a new multi-million pig farm and processing plant, which it claims will be the largest pork production complex in Russia.
The UK Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has agreed a £50m pork export deal with China during a delegation to the country.
The re-emergence of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in the US could lead to a short-term increase in US beef exports to Russia, Russian analysts have said.
Extensive, grass-fed cattle systems are more environmentally friendly than intensive, grain-based systems, according to a new study from the UK National Trust (NT).
Scottish industry association Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) is looking to promote the Scotch Beef brand in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), now that the UK has received export certification from the Middle Eastern country.
Danish breeding company DanBred, is trying to reduce the risk of boar taint in pork through genomic selection, ahead of the 2018 implementation of the EU’s declaration on alternatives to surgical castration of pigs.
Russian meat processing giant Cherkizovo has taken an “investment vacation” from pig projects, citing the sector’s uncertainty on the eve of Russia’s entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO).
Dutch slaughter line supplier NAWI has signed a strategic co-operation contract with Nijhuis Warer Technology to provide efficient abattoir solutions to the international meat market.
The global poultry sector is expected to benefit from positive market conditions and strong prices in the second quarter of 2012, a Rabobank report has revealed.
Brazil and Argentina will face increased competition on the international poultry market now that the EU has announced it would lift its bird flu-related ban on raw chicken from Thailand on 1 July 2012, a report has said.
The global pork trade is returning to a more normal situation after months of increased disease-related imports from Asia, according to a Rabobank report.
When discussing meat's environmental impact, there is a tendency to focus on greenhouse gas emissions. But the production of soy for feed is also of major concern. Carina Perkins looks at the issues
Anaerobic digestion could bring benefits to the UK meat industry's environmental impact, but a lack of clear policy and funding on the issue are holding developments back. Melodie Michel reports
Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is actively spreading on countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), especially Russia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.
New Zealand’s ambassador in the UK has said that despite the growing importance of business with China, his country should maintain its trade with Britain. He is lobbying fellow New Zealanders to keep the China boom in perspective.
The UK has confirmed the introduction of its Groceries Code Adjudicator, a legislative device meant to correct the power imbalance between farmers and supermarkets.
Russia has reclaimed its place as the first importer of Brazilian pork, representing 29.15% of the country’s exports in April, according to the Brazilian Association of Pork Producers and Exporters (ABIPECS).
Countries of the Customs Union – Kazakhstan, Russia and Belarus – have decided to create and follow a single policy on meat issues, meaning that import restrictions imposed by any of them on a third country will automatically be extended to the rest of...
French agricultural research organisation Institut de l’Elevage (Idele) has forecast a 2% growth in EU lamb slaughterings in 2012, boosted by increased flock numbers in the UK and Ireland.
Ukraine’s Ministry of Agriculture has set a target to reverse the current downward trend in livestock numbers as soon as possible, and to stabilise its meat production.
A novel strain of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) discovered in Egypt and Libya in February has now spread to the Gaza Strip, putting Gulf countries at risk, the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) warns.
The UK’s Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced further control measures, due to be implemented on 1 July 2012, to eradicate bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in England.
UK quality scheme Red Tractor has hit back at a report that claimed its welfare standards were lower than most other assurances, calling it “prejudged” and “biased”.
The US Trade Representative (USTR) has joined forces with the European Union (EU) to press Indonesia to simplify its licensing for meat and livestock imports.
French meat producers are have called on their union to negotiate better prices with supermarkets, arguing that the rise in feed costs is not covered in their contracts.
Animal welfare organisation Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) has expressed concerns over member state compliance to the EU sow stall ban, as only 10 countries are expected to have made the transition by January 2013.
Co-operative the Tican Group has adopted several methods to improve production and ensure steady growth in the past 15 years, but the size and location of its abattoir are set to prove a challenge for the future.
What sets the Danish pig industry apart is its co-operative structure, within which abattoirs are entirely owned by farmers. The first co-operative was created in 1887 and, by 1963, there were 77.
