News

The latest meat industry news from around the world.

News

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15 Apr 2021

Record UK beef prices lead to Irish cattle imports

Some processors have turned to live Irish cattle imports to secure beef during the tightest UK supply period since the 2001 foot-and-mouth epidemic. Draconian paperwork and tight Irish numbers could limit volumes, but there have been several reports of cattle shipments into th...

15 Apr 2021

Scott Technology wins Aussie meat processor contract

Automation and robotic systems firm Scott Technology said it had won a $10 million contract to design and build a lamb-boning system for one of Australia’s largest meat processors, Thomas Foods International (TFI). The investment by TFI will deliver improved product qual...

15 Apr 2021

Welsh lamb moves online to capitalise on growth

UK red meat organisations are redoubling efforts to ensure that online retailers which have seen growth during the pandemic regularly stock Welsh lamb and beef. With more people shopping online, promotional efforts for Wales’s iconic farming exports have been ensuring th...

13 Apr 2021

UK meat processors fear permanent damage to trade with EU

British meat processors fear losing as much as 25pc of their pre-Brexit EU trade as a result of ‘massive increase’ in trade friction since January 1. They also said concessions from the EU could only be achieved when EU exporters have to ‘jump through the sam...

13 Apr 2021

New Zealand government expected to announce end to live exports

The New Zealand government is expected to end its live animal export trade. It comes amid a months-long investigation by TVNZ’s Sunday programme into the conditions endured by cattle at sea. “It’s a trade whose time has come, it’s a trade we should have got out...

13 Apr 2021

Beef producers see red over Blue Peter campaign

The BBC has stooped to new depths in attempting to direct children in a way that could be harmful to their health and growth, says the National Beef Association (NBA) in response to the broadcaster’s new ‘one-sided’ Blue Peter initiative. In an open letter to BBC directo...

06 Apr 2021

Strong demand and tight supplies boost pork market

Strong underlying demand and tight supply continues to support the market, with price rises seen across the board, according to Thames Valley Cambac. Most of the major processors viewed Easter as a small inconvenience, and planned to work right through, TVC said in its lates...

01 Apr 2021

Meat sector report warns of long-term EU trade impact

Brexit will cost the UK meat sector up to £120m/year in extra vet and administration charges alone, a British Meat Processors Association (BMPA) report has warned. The BMPA’s Brexit Impact Report called on the government to appreciate the difficulties being encountered th...

29 Mar 2021

Brexit will lead to permanent loss of trade in meat, says BMPA’s new Brexit Impact Report

The British Meat Processors Association has published a Brexit Impact Report which draws on the experiences of meat exporters to date and says problems with new rules at the border are not going away and predicts a permanent reduction in trade. Read the Report The report s...

23 Mar 2021

Germany’s Toennies: next generation to take over, no comment on sales rumours

BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany’s largest meat processor Toennies is growing and expanding as the next generation of the family is taking over, managing partners of it said on Friday, declining to comment on a report that the group was seeking a buyer. “We do not comment ...

23 Mar 2021

China to crack down on use of leanness enhancers in cattle and sheep

HONG KONG (Reuters) – China’s agriculture ministry said on Friday it will crack down on the use of leanness-enhancing agents in farm animals to guarantee the quality and safety of livestock products. The three-month drive will focus on the use of the banned substance c...

20 Mar 2021

Farm groups and vets angry at Government decision to delay checks on EU imports

Farm groups and vets have responded angrily to a Government decision to delay checks on EU food imports to Great Britain (GB). Exports from GB to the EU have faced thorough checks since the end of the Brexit transition period on January 1 2021, causing delays and leaving some ...

20 Mar 2021

Record high lamb prices

Lamb prices have continued to move up across the UK, with firm demand and weak supply leading to some of the highest prices on record. In the week ending March 10, the liveweight old season lamb SQQ rose by 13p/kg on the week to average 293.0p/kg, 88p/kg above the five-year av...

20 Mar 2021

Germany’s ‘Sausage King’ Is Said to Explore $5 Billion Sale

(Bloomberg) — Billionaire Clemens Toennies is exploring a sale of Germany’s largest meat processor, almost a year after his namesake company was embroiled in a nationwide scandal due to a huge coronavirus outbreak at one of his packing plants. Toennies Holding ApS &...

20 Mar 2021

Philippines begins trial Taiwan pork imports

The Philippines last month imported a small amount of Taiwanese pork on a trial basis, and plans to import breeding swine from Taiwan to rebuild its hog industry, the Council of Agriculture said on Friday. The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) in June last year declar...

08 Mar 2021

Boost for pork exports as US suspends retaliatory Airbus tariffs

In a welcome boost for UK pork exports, the US has today suspended all retaliatory tariffs on UK exports resulting from the Airbus dispute for four months. The measures, which will come into force on Monday, March 8, backdated to today, have been agreed in an effort to reach ...

08 Mar 2021

Situation improving in pork plants amid positive market signs

The situation is starting to get better in UK pork plants, according to Thames Valley Cambac. While not problem free, last week saw a ‘vast improvement’ on previous weeks, with little rolled and we start the new trading week with a ‘straight edge’, TVC said in its la...

02 Mar 2021

Better week for processors, but COVID still an issue

Most processors had a better week in terms of reliability, but COVID-19 concerns remained for some, curtailing capacity, according to Thames Valley Cambac. “Demand remained steady, although there was the odd shoot of optimism from some retail quarters with one major on promo...

02 Mar 2021

EU pig prices see slight improvement

Pig prices in the EU have picked up a little over the past couple of weeks, having been largely steady since the start of the year, according to AHDB analyst Bethan Wilkins. The latest average price for week ending 21 February, was €131.07/100kg – an increase of roughly �...

02 Mar 2021

Seafood reputation being lost “day by day” since Brexit, Scottish expert tells MPs

THE REPUTATION of the UK’s fishing exports is being lost “day by day”, according to a Scottish seafood leader. Donna Fordyce, the Chief Executive of Seafood Scotland, told MPs this afternoon that the length of time it is taking to get produce to market after...

02 Mar 2021

UK sheep sector was still profitable in 2020 even in the face of a pandemic

The value of UK sheep meat exports increased by almost 10 percent last year despite the difficulties brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic. Newly released data for 2020 has revealed a profitable year for the sector against the backdrop of reduced volume of exports and ...

02 Mar 2021

Study shows data-driven beef breeding can reduce methane emission by up to 40%

Beef produced on farms across the British Isles is widely recognised and being amongst the most sustainable in the world. This is evidenced by the fact that its carbon footprint of approximately half of the global average. Nonetheless, results of a multi-year study involving o...

27 Feb 2021

Beyond Meat clinches coveted deals with McDonald’s, Yum Brands

CHICAGO (Reuters) – Plant-based meat maker Beyond Meat said on Thursday it has signed multi-year supply deals with McDonald’s Corp and Taco Bell owner Yum! Brands Inc, underscoring consumers’ appetite for vegetable-based alternatives and Beyond Meat’s leading posit...

27 Feb 2021

Depleted lamb stocks drive up prices

Sheep farmers have begun to draw ewe lambs from replacements to capitalise on deadweight prices that have marched through the £6/kg mark. AHDB figures for the week ending 20 February, showed old season lamb (OSL) SQQ deadweight prices rose by 16p/kg in seven days to average 6...

22 Feb 2021

Brexit: NI supermarkets face new rules for GB meat products

Supermarkets bringing meat products from Great Britain to Northern Ireland face new bureaucracy from Monday. The change is a consequence of Brexit and the Irish Sea border. Retailers must now use Export Health Certificates (EHCs) to import chilled, processed meat – this ...

18 Feb 2021

Redefine Meat raises $29 million to finance rollout of 3D-printed meat substitute

ZURICH (Reuters) – Israeli start-up Redefine Meat is planning to launch its 3D-printed meat substitutes globally after raising $29 million in a funding round led by venture capital firms Happiness Capital and Hanaco Ventures, it said on Tuesday. Redefine Meat has develop...

16 Feb 2021

Saudi Arabia expands partnership with Brazilian meat operator

RIYADH: A Saudi agriculture investment firm is to expand into Australia through a partnership deal with a Brazilian livestock company. The Saudi Agricultural and Livestock Investment Co. (SALIC), a joint stock company owned by the Public Investment Fund, has entered into an ag...

15 Feb 2021

Local abattoirs given a voice

A NEW campaign body has been formed to champion small local abattoirs across the UK. The creation of the Abattoir Sector Group comes on the back of recommendations made by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Animal Welfare’s report into ‘The Future for Small Abattoirs in...

12 Feb 2021

Tesco and Asda told to improve British pork offering

Pig producers have urged Tesco and Asda to up the quantity of British pork on their shelves after a survey found a large proportion was imported. According to a recent shelf-watch survey by NFU Scotland, less than half of the fresh pork on sale in the two retailers was British...

11 Feb 2021

Pork pie export crackdown: new export health certificate required from 21 April

A new model Export Health Certificate (EHC) will come into force on 21 April 2021, which will impact the export of composite products containing products of animal origin (POAO) as an ingredient, such as pork pies and lasagna. Under the new regulation, EHC requirements will...

11 Feb 2021

China plant-based ‘meat’ brand HERO Protein closes USD850k pre-seed round

HERO Protein, the first domestic plant-based ‘meat’ company in China to use cutting-edge “high moisture extrusion” technology, has completed a USD850k pre-seed funding round to launch its products into the market. The funding round saw participation from Crem...

11 Feb 2021

“A Technological & Sustainable Approach to Meat Inspection”

The Association of Independent Meat Suppliers (AIMS) published a report today. The report “A Technological & Sustainable Approach to Meat Inspection”, sets out how many of the challenges facing the small abattoir and poultry processing sectors can be addressed through ...

10 Feb 2021

Brexit: UK pig exports ‘facing a crisis’

A “perfect storm” of Covid impacts and post-Brexit bureaucracy threaten to plunge British pig farmers into a crisis, an industry body has warned. The National Pig Association (NPA) said there were 100,000 animals in the UK unable to enter the food chain. Farmers in...

10 Feb 2021

Video: UK red meat sector’s Covid safety measures

A new video which shows how UK meat processing plants and abattoirs are taking steps to minimise the spread of Covid-19 has gone live. The two-minute animation, produced by AHDB, highlights the range of practices being adopted across the UK to ensure the safe production of red...

10 Feb 2021

Philippines to aggressively ramp up pork imports to tackle price rises

MANILA, Feb 9 (Reuters) – The Philippines plans to increase pork imports this year to roughly 400,000 tonnes, more than double the initial proposal, as it seeks to cover a domestic shortfall that has pushed market prices higher, its farm minister said on Tuesday. A gover...

10 Feb 2021

British meat processors set up shop in EU as Brexit hammers exports – BMPA

LONDON (Reuters) – British meat processors are registering businesses in the European Union in order to bypass post-Brexit export delays, with flows just 50% of normal levels and costs soaring, the British Meat Processors Association (BMPA) said on Tuesday. The move mean...

10 Feb 2021

Hong Kong culls 3,000 pigs after African swine fever discovery

HONG KONG (Reuters) – Hong Kong authorities ordered the culling of all 3,000 pigs in a herd after the African swine fever virus was discovered to be spreading for the first time in one of the city’s farms. The disease, which is harmless to humans, is very rare in Hong ...

10 Feb 2021

Brexit: Animal-based food checks at ports suspended

Checks on animal and food products at Larne and Belfast ports have been suspended amid concerns for staff safety. The Department of Agriculture said this was pending talks with the PSNI. This comes after Mid and East Antrim Council withdrew staff from Brexit inspection duties ...

09 Feb 2021

Union calls for increase in British pork presence

Less than half the pork in Tesco and Asda is British or Scottish. NFU Scotland has contacted all major supermarkets regarding their support for Scottish and British pig farmers after finding that some retailers have a very high proportion of non-British pork on their shelves...

08 Feb 2021

COVID less of a problem in plants but fresh pork market ‘dire’ – TVC

Fewer issues were seen at pork plants last week as the reduced allocation that some processors planned bore fruit, according to Thames Valley Cambac. COVID-19 was, however, still a major problem for some plants, with boning and cutting staff particularly affected, TVC said ...

06 Feb 2021

Project launches to trace origin of beef with DNA technology

A new project is exploring the use of DNA technology to trace beef back to the animal it came from and the farm of origin. The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) says DNA technology has the potential to provide greater protection and value for beef at home a...

03 Feb 2021

Pig industry ‘perfect storm’ makes international headlines

The international media is taking a growing interest in the ‘perfect storm’ the UK pig sector finds itself in as a result of Brexit disruption and ongoing issues in pork plants. NPA staff, officeholders and members have discussed the issues over the past days with outlet...

02 Feb 2021

Philippines sets price ceiling for pork, chicken as food inflation soars

MANILA, Feb 1 (Reuters) – Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday signed an executive order mandating price ceilings for pork and chicken in the capital region, as costlier meat has propelled food inflation to a double-digit level. Pork retail prices in the Philip...

02 Feb 2021

More rolled pigs as staff issues continue to hit plants

Processing time continued to be lost last week due to staff absenteeism, and physical breakdowns, according to Thames Valley Cambac. “The upshot was more rolled pigs and a much reduced allocation from some as we enter February. Consequently, there was no opportunity to catch...

02 Feb 2021

Abattoir Sector Group established to support local UK slaughterhouse network

An Abattoir Sector Group (ASG) has been set up to help develop a thriving network of local abattoirs across the UK. The group was formed following a recommendation in the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Animal Welfare’s (AGPAW) report, The Future for Small Abattoirs in th...

30 Jan 2021

MPs launch inquiry into Brexit border delays for meat exports

MPs are launching an urgent inquiry into the disruption of UK meat exports to the EU since the end of the Brexit transition period on 1 January. Food export businesses of all sizes have reported losing money and trade due to an increase in bureaucratic border processes. The Br...

30 Jan 2021

New strain of African swine fever hits prominent pig producer in China

A new form of African swine fever (ASF) has been identified in several farms owned by New Hope Liuhe, China’s fourth-largest producer, the company’s chief science officer Yan Zhichun told Reuters. Two new strains of ASF have reportedly infected more than 1,000 sows, with...

30 Jan 2021

Red Tractor high-profile marketing campaign focuses on beef and lamb

CUMBRIAN farmer Alistair Mackintosh is helping to promote a consumer marketing campaign by Red Tractor. As chair of the Red Tractor Beef and Lamb sector, Mr Mackintosh is promoting the campaign which demonstrates the standards British beef and lamb farmers adhere to as well as...

30 Jan 2021

Pig farms can restart in Belgium’s ASF zone

Belgium has started the repopulation of pig farms located in the southern region that was hit by African Swine Fever (ASF) between 2018 and 2020. Those farms are located in the south of Luxembourg province, adjacent to Luxembourg the country. Permission to repopulate was given...

30 Jan 2021

Increased trade disruption at UK-EU border could hit farmgate prices, warns NFU

The NFU has warned trade disruption at the UK-EU border could hit farm planning and put downward pressure on farmgate prices if it continues over the coming weeks. The union’s director of trade and business strategy, Nick von Westenholz, pointed out farmers had so far avoide...

30 Jan 2021

Hong Kong cooks up lab-grown fish as appetite for ‘clean meat’ rises

HONG KONG (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – When chef Eddy Leung was tasked with cooking what was touted as the world’s first lab-grown fish fillets in his kitchen in southwestern Hong Kong, he pan-fried some and deep-fried others before finally deciding on breaded fish b...

30 Jan 2021

Beyond Meat surges on PepsiCo plant-based snack deal

(Reuters) – Beyond Meat Inc said on Tuesday it had formed a joint venture with PepsiCo Inc to develop and sell snacks and beverages made from plant-based protein, sending shares of the faux-meat maker to an 18-month high. The deal was the latest in a run of marketing suc...

30 Jan 2021

GB prime prices hold firm, while cow prices tick up

In the week ending 23 January, the GB all prime average deadweight cattle price stood at 377.3p/kg, lifting just 0.4p on the week before. This measure is now above the price achieved for the same week last year by 45.5p/kg. Estimated throughput for the week totalled 33,300 hea...

29 Jan 2021

Deadweight lamb prices make further gains

Deadweight lamb prices rose further again this week, up by 5.5p to total 574.3p/kg for the week ending 23 January. Prices are currently up by 110.9p on the same week of the previous year. Total throughputs for the week ending 23 January were estimated at 218,200 head, this was...

28 Jan 2021

GB pig prices for week ending January 23, 2021 – SPP down again, carcase weights also down

AHDB Pork’s weekly pig prices, slaughter data and commentary for Great Britain It was another difficult week for the finished pig market, with the EU-spec SPP experiencing another fall. The EU-spec price for the week ended January 23 fell by 1.36p to 141.69p/kg – this is n...

28 Jan 2021

NPA tells Eustice of ‘unprecedented challenges’ facing the sector in the form of Brexit border delays and COVID-19

NPA chairman Richard Lister has written to Defra Secretary George Eustice outlining the ‘unprecedented challenges’ the sector faces as a result of the UK’s exit from the EU ‘impacting on our ability to export goods to the continent and Northern Ireland’. “This has...

28 Jan 2021

Brazilian meat exports to EU fell across 2020 due to trade diversion and Asian demand

Overall trade between the EU and Brazil fell across 202, with Brazilian exports to the EU falling by 14% on the previous year, and imports to Brazil from the EU down by 13%, according to Apex-Brazil, the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency. The agency said this ...

28 Jan 2021

Covid-19 outbreak: Brechin abattoir closure threatens Scotland’s pig sector

A COVID-19 outbreak at Scotland’s only pig abattoir has left producers with a backlog of stock, quickly diminishing in value as the plant closes its doors for two weeks. Quality Pork Limited, in Brechin, took the decision to close its doors for a fortnight on Saturday, Janua...

26 Jan 2021

Morrisons launches South West Shorthorn Beef Scheme

South West farmers finishing Beef Shorthorn-sired cattle will have the first-time opportunity from March 2021 to supply the Morrisons Shorthorn Beef Scheme and receive premiums of up to 30p/kg. Due to the growing volumes of Shorthorn-sired cattle located in the Cornwall, Devon...

23 Jan 2021

Dutch customs warn British meat traders to have correct animal health reports

Dutch customs officials are warning British importers to have all of their veterinary health certificates in order if they want to bring meat products into Europe as a non-European country. The British Meat Processors Association has said that alongside five containers of Brit...

23 Jan 2021

Brazil’s JBS says China lifted pandemic-related bans on two meat plants

SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Brazil-based meatpacker JBS SA said on Wednesday China has lifted bans on two meat plants imposed in 2020 over coronavirus concerns. The company said in a statement the lifting of the bans raised to 25 the total number of JBS plants in Brazil author...

23 Jan 2021

GB cattle prices increase across the board

The week ending 16 January saw all GB deadweight cattle prices record increases. The all-prime price rose 5.3p on the previous week to average 376.9p/kg. This measure is now 46p above the price achieved for the same week last year, and 33p above the five-year average. Estimate...

23 Jan 2021

Deadweight lamb prices climb again

In the week ending 16 January, the GB deadweight SQQ lamb price lifted again, jumping an impressive 50.2p to average 568.8p/kg. This is the highest price achieved in the last two years and puts the measure 114.1p above the same week last year. Estimated throughput for the ...

23 Jan 2021

UK meat exports left rotting at ports due to ‘hellish’ paperwork

UK meat shipments have been left rotting at ports this week due to burdensome paperwork brought about by Brexit. Though current trade volumes are just 20 per cent of normal levels as exporters ‘test’ the system, delays saw processors reject UK shipments and cancel future o...

22 Jan 2021

Brexit: Lamb exporter to EU ‘making virtually nothing’

One of Wales’ largest lamb exporters says the extra cost and paperwork of selling meat into the EU means it is making “virtually nothing”. Meat processing plant Randall Parker Foods in Llanidloes, Powys, warned it may lose a third of its 150 workers unless ne...

21 Jan 2021

Brits turning away from meat-free diets, retail analysis shows

The proportion of British adults cutting meat from their diet dropped significantly in 2020, according to new research. Data on retail sales from analysts Mintel explained that the pandemic proved to be a ‘temporary setback’ for plant-based products. The number of ...

21 Jan 2021

Cheap German product contributes to rise in UK pork imports volumes

UK pork import volumes towards the end of last year, due partly to the availability of cheap German product, while COVID-19 issues hit export volumes. UK pig meat exports, including offal, fell by 15% (5,700 tonnes) on the previous month in November 2020 and were down 8% (...

21 Jan 2021

Domestic demand and NZ imports dip supports lamb prices

Lamb prices have reached the ‘unprecedented position’ of being higher than the start of the marketing season last year, as they continue to rise both at auction marts and deadweight. High domestic demand and smaller amounts of New Zealand lamb have boosted prices. And desp...

20 Jan 2021

COVID, trade issues have big impact on Australia’s beef exports to the EU – Can they bounce back?

AUSTRALIA’S beef exports to the European Union collapsed to their lowest level in 16 years during 2020, due to a range of short and longer-term factors. Often categorised as Australia’s most valuable beef export market on a dollars/tonne basis, the European Union (still in...

19 Jan 2021

Meat processors join seafood Brexit protest amid ‘serious and sustained loss of trade’

The British Meat Processors Association has said it is receiving a growing number of calls from meat companies highlighting the “plethora of problems” they have been experiencing at the borders. The BMPA said the problems are now causing a “serious and sustained lo...

19 Jan 2021

ABP appoints new managing director of Irish and Polish operations

Meat processor ABP has announced the appointment of Kevin Cahill as managing director of its Irish and Polish operations. Mr Cahill rejoins the group from OSI where he was managing director Europe for the past five years. Prior to joining OSI he spent 20 years with the Kepak G...

18 Jan 2021

Brexit delays hit cull sow trade

The National Pig Association (NPA) said its processor members had reported excessive bureaucracy of new paperwork requirements was causing delays at ports. And with pork a perishable product, the delays were making shipments unattractive to buyers in the EU. The NPA highlighte...

16 Jan 2021

Post-Brexit customs systems not fit for purpose, say meat exporters

UK meat exporters have claimed post-Brexit customs systems are “not fit for purpose”, with goods delayed for hours, sometimes days, at the border. The British Meat Processor Association said even experienced exporters were struggling with the system. It said meat e...

16 Jan 2021

Brexit delays hit pork exporters

Brexit border delays have brought the UK pork sector to a standstill, with warnings knock on effects could be felt on farms. UK pork processors were experiencing significant issues in exporting pig meat, bringing part of the industry to a complete standstill. The widely seen f...

16 Jan 2021

New Scotbeef Inverurie abattoir plan on hold due to Covid

Scotbeef Inverurie’s plans to build a new abattoir in the north-east have been put on hold due to the Covid-19 crisis and economic uncertainty. The latest accounts for the company, which is jointly owned by Scotland’s largest red meat processor JW Galloway and north-east ...

16 Jan 2021

GB pig prices for week ending January 9, 2021 – biggest drop in SPP since 2016, record weights

AHDB Pork’s weekly pig prices, slaughter data and commentary for Great Britain The EU-spec SPP recorded a significant drop on the previous week in the week ending January 9. The price averaged 144.74p/kg, just shy of 2p below the previous week. This is the largest week-on-we...

16 Jan 2021

AHDB Meat Education Programme student numbers boosted by pandemic

AHDB’s Meat Education Programme has now awarded over 10,000 certificates after a surge in popularity last year, due to Covid-19 restrictions enabling more learners to commit more time, leading to improved retention and successes across its programmes. With the possibili...

16 Jan 2021

Namibia suspends poultry imports from 10 European countries due to bird flu

WINDHOEK (Reuters) – Namibia halted imports of live poultry from 10 countries on Friday following outbreaks of bird flu in Europe. The suspension affects imports from the Netherlands, Germany, Britain, Ireland, Denmark, Ukraine, Belgium, Poland, Sweden and France, the Di...

16 Jan 2021

‘Irish beef sector is facing a second cliff edge due to Brexit’

The threat of Brexit eased somewhat for beef farmers back on December 24 as a late trade deal was agreed. This meant that our beef exports to the UK, which are our largest net importers of Irish beef, will avoid heavy tariffs imposed by the World Tariff Organization (WTO) rule...

16 Jan 2021

‘Excessive bureaucracy’ brings UK meat sector to standstill

UK meat processors have warned they are experiencing major issues in exporting their products to the EU, bringing parts of the industry to a ‘complete standstill’. Pig processors have reported that excessive bureaucracy associated with new paperwork requirements ar...

16 Jan 2021

Lamb price rises pick up pace

In the week ending 9 January, the GB deadweight lamb price rose again, adding a further 32p to the overall SQQ measure, which averaged 518.6p/kg. This puts prices an impressive 68p higher than the same week last year. Some industry reports suggest higher prices still have been...

16 Jan 2021

UK supermarkets seek urgent action on Northern Ireland supplies

* Three-month grace period ends March 31 * Supermarket chiefs say current proposals are unworkable * CEOs says disruption inevitable if solution not found * British PM Johnson says there are “teething problems” Britain’s leading supermarket groups have warne...

16 Jan 2021

Weaning weight linked to lamb meat leanness

Lambs which are heaviest at weaning produce the leanest meat, according to a new study. Scientists at the Hertfordshire-based Rothamsted Research Institute have found a link between the weight of lambs in their early life and meat quality. The study, carried out at Rothamste...

12 Jan 2021

Delays at Calais hit pork exports as new Brexit controls start to bite

Delays in checking products at Calais are already causing problems for pork exports, according to the NPA. The NPA has reported that, while there currently appear to be no significant issues on the Dover side, pork exporters are now experiencing delays at Calais because ...

12 Jan 2021

COVID and Brexit checks combine to affect pig trade

Staff absenteeism due to COVID-19 continues to be a big problem for processors and hauliers, resulting on ongoing disruption, according to Thames Valley Cambac. “The backlog continued to grow and finished weights soared,” TVC said in its latest market update. “The averag...

12 Jan 2021

GB finished pig prices decline over the New Year

The EU-spec SPP continued its downwards trajectory into the New Year. In the week ending 2 January, the price dropped back a further 0.61p on the week, to average 146.73p/kg. This puts prices over 15.5p below the same week in the previous year. Meanwhile, prices remain over 1....

12 Jan 2021

Brazilian Beef Exports At Record Levels

Brazilian beef exporters saw an 8% increase in 2020 to 2.02 million metric tons. That’s according to Brazilian beef industry association Abrafrigo, which also reported revenue from beef exports last year were 11% higher at $8.4 billion. Abrafrigo said it expects a 5% increas...

11 Jan 2021

Meat company JW Galloway blames Brexit for profits slump

Scotland’s largest meat processor, JW Galloway, has blamed Brexit preparations for a 48% drop in profits last year. Accounts filed with Companies House show the family-owned business, which owns Scotbeef, Vivers Scotland and Scotbeef (Inverurie) Ltd, posted pre-tax profits o...

11 Jan 2021

Firm invests in meat-from-air idea

One of the world’s largest agricultural commodity traders is pouring money into a startup making meat from elements of the air. Archer Daniels Midland Co., Barclays and Google’s venture capital unit are leading a $32 million series A funding for Air Protein. The Ca...

11 Jan 2021

Smithfield announces new management shakeup

CHICAGO (Reuters) – Smithfield Foods on Thursday unveiled a management shakeup as the world’s largest pork processor and its new chief executive deal with the ripple effects of a pandemic-led drop in restaurant meat consumption and coronavirus infections among U.S. wor...

09 Jan 2021

Delays at Calais hit pork exports as new Brexit controls start to bite

09 Jan 2021

Danish Tican Fresh Meat A/S tests employees weekly to avoid halt in export to China

Danish Tican Fresh Meat A/S, pork producer and exporter of fresh and frozen pork, are weekly testing its employees for Covid-19 in an attempt to secure a regular export to China. The weekly testing was introduced after a small outbreak of Covid-19 amongst employees at the comp...

07 Jan 2021

Farmers drown out vegan campaign with pro meat messaging

A bevy of pro meat messages have been shared on social media and in the national press in a bid to combat anti-farming messages spread by Veganuary activists this month. Regenuary, an initiative set up by The Ethical Butcher, an online shop selling ethically sourced meats from...

05 Jan 2021

Halal abattoir applies to take over Tulip meat factory

Council bosses are being urged to make a quick decision to ensure the deal for the former Tulip Foods factory in Tipton can go ahead. Pak Mecca Limited is negotiating with the factory’s owners, Pilgrim’s Pride, to buy the land and existing buildings on George Henry Road to...

05 Jan 2021

China suspends imports from Brazil pork plant over coronavirus concerns

SAO PAULO/BEIJING, Jan 4 (Reuters) – China has suspended imports from a Brazilian pork plant operated by privately owned Aurora Alimentos over coronavirus concerns, according to a statement from a meat trade group on Monday. The Brazilian agriculture ministry confirmed t...

04 Jan 2021

Chinese supermarkets, consumers seek domestic meats to cut contamination risks

China’s meat imports have dwindled in recent months as concerns persist over the safety of imported cold-chain products, pushing up demand and prices for domestically-produced meat as Chinese customers seek safer alternatives. According to data from China’s Gener...

30 Dec 2020

Brexit: UK sausage makers face EU export ban

Raw sausages and other minced meats can no longer be exported to the EU from 1 January, according to new rules. The guidance is part of the post-Brexit trade deal agreed between the UK and the EU last week. Meat industry bodies attended a conference call with ministers on Tues...

30 Dec 2020

Karro owners announce acquisition of Irish cooked meats producer

The Eight Fifty Food Group, which owns pork processor Karro, has announced the acquisition of Irish food business Carroll’s Cuisine from Carlyle Cardinal Ireland (CCI) for an undisclosed fee. Carroll’s is a leading producer of cooked meats and convenience food in the Repu...

30 Dec 2020

China meat association calls for exporters to disinfect shipments to prevent COVID-19

BEIJING (Reuters) -Chinese meat importers and processors have called on exporters in countries with COVID-19 outbreaks to step up checks on shipments before they are sent to the world’s biggest market, China’s top industry group said. “China has been importing a large qu...

30 Dec 2020

Hong Kong suspends poultry imports from Korea and the UK

The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department in Hong Kong has suspended the imports of poultry meat and products including poultry eggs from certain areas in Korea and the UK. The decision was announced after a notification was released by ...

23 Dec 2020

Unilever expands deal with Burger King to launch meat-free Whopper in Latin America, China

Unilever said today it had expanded its partnership with Burger King to supply its plant-based meat patties for Whopper burgers at restaurants in Latin America, the Caribbean and China. The product, which will be called the Plant-based Whopper on menus, is made using patties...

23 Dec 2020

Red Tractor is urging farmers to engage

RED Tractor Assurance is urging farmers to engage in a consultation in January on how its farm standards should evolve. A consultation will open on January 5 2021 with proposals put forward on how the standards should look across the scheme’s six sectors; beef and lamb, poul...

22 Dec 2020

Lamb trade holds up as numbers fall after auctioneers’ warnings

Lower lamb numbers at auction marts helped support prices at UK auction marts, following auctioneers warnings export buyers would not be requiring lambs. It comes as more than 1,500 lorries are stuck in Kent waiting to leave the UK after France closed its borders due to fears ...

22 Dec 2020

Bestway Wholesale to acquire Costcutter; extends Co-op supply deal

Bestway Wholesale has announced it has agreed a deal to acquire Costcutter Supermarkets Group (CSG) from Bibby Line Group for an undisclosed amount. The acquisition, which will complete on approval from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), will see Bestway Wholesale’s turn...

22 Dec 2020

Exporters step back from markets due to border chaos

Auction markets were expecting to feel the impact of border closures at sheep sales this week as demand drops for export weight lambs. On Sunday (December 20), France shut its border with the UK for 48 hours, meaning no lorries or ferries will sail from the port of Dover. Ted ...

22 Dec 2020

Calls for ‘orientation phase’ to iron out Brexit technicalities

An orientation phase to ‘iron out’ Brexit technicalities has been called for by the British Meat Processors Association (BMPA). The phase, as part of final negotiations with the EU, would allow changes to be staggered throughout 2021 in a bid to avoid a ‘damaging shock�...

21 Dec 2020

Cull sow shipments cancelled due to Dover port closure

Already much-reduced shipments of cull sows have been cancelled due to the closure of Dover port, after France banned UK travellers and freight due to the new strain of COVID-19. France shut its border with the UK for 48 hours on Sunday, meaning no lorries or ferry passengers...

21 Dec 2020

France closes border to UK traffic – and exports

FRANCE has shut its borders to UK hauliers for 48 hours in response to the spread of the new coronavirus variant in south-east England. The English Channel is usually busy trade route at Christmas time, with fresh produce shipped back and forth in around 10,000 lorries a day t...

21 Dec 2020

Cranswick walks away from deal talks with Harringtons owner

Cranswick has withdrawn from talks to acquire pet food brand Inspired Pet Nutrition, the meat processor said in a brief statement on Thursday, without disclosing any reason. ‘Further to its announcement of 16 December 2020, the Board of Cranswick plc today confirms that ...

18 Dec 2020

Irish meat processors call for no-deal tariff supports

Meat Industry Ireland (MII) has emphasised the importance of the EU and UK, concluding a trade deal before the transition period ends on 31st December. It comes as the Farming Independent revealed on Tuesday that the Government had intensified plans to support the agriculture ...

18 Dec 2020

A closer look at Singapore’s imports

On the 10 December, the UK signed a free trade agreement with Singapore which maintains UK access to that market after the UK leaves the EU. In the year to October, imports of all product groups into Singapore increased, except dairy, which fell by a marginal 1% on the year. I...

18 Dec 2020

China releases 16,000 tonnes of pork from state reserves

China released 16,000 tonnes of pork from its central reserves on Thursday to increase supply for the upcoming New Year and Spring Festival holidays, according to the Ministry of Commerce. The ministry said that more frozen pork reserves would be released onto the market in du...

18 Dec 2020

China Sees New Surge in Pork Prices With Imports Under Scrutiny

(Bloomberg) — Pork prices have rebounded in China as demand strengthens before a major holiday season and supply tightens because of a virus-linked crackdown on imports. Wholesale pork prices jumped almost 6% in the first week of December from a week earlier to 41.98 yua...

18 Dec 2020

UK’s Cranswick in talks to buy Harringtons owner Inspired Pet Nutrition

(Reuters) – Cranswick Plc on Wednesday confirmed it was in talks to buy pet food brand Inspired Pet Nutrition as the meat processor looks to expand its dog food operations. The company, which houses brands like Simply Sausages, Woodall’s and Yorkshire Baker, said it in...

18 Dec 2020

Irish beef exports to China suspended since May

China ban has reduced the value of Irish 2020 beef exports by an estimated €60m. Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue has confirmed that Irish beef shipments to China have been suspended since an isolated case of atypical BSE was confirmed in Co Tipperary in mid-May. The...

16 Dec 2020

Scottish lamb producers face the Great Brexit unknown

WITH only two weeks to go until the end of the European Union exit transition period, Scotland’s sheepmeat sector is on tenterhooks. According to the latest market commentary by Quality Meat Scotland, the latest meeting between the UK Prime Minister and the European Commissi...

16 Dec 2020

How a New Zealand Meat Exporter Is Navigating the Pandemic

It’s tough enough maintaining a reliable domestic food supply chain during the coronavirus pandemic. Imagine, then, the challenge of managing one that stretches nearly 8,000 miles. Silver Fern Farms is New Zealand’s largest processor and marketer of livestock and red meat...

16 Dec 2020

NZ Lamb numbers up, despite a challenging year for farmers

Despite tough droughts and meat processing restrictions as a result of Covid-19, farmers have achieved a near record number of lambs this season. For every 100 ewes, an average of 130 lambs were born compared with an average of 124 over the prior 10 years, Beef and Lamb New Ze...

15 Dec 2020

High prices mean no-deal sheep compensation may not be needed, says Eustice

Defra Secretary George Eustice has said the current ‘buoyancy’ of the UK sheep market may mean the sector will not need to be compensated in the event of a no-deal Brexit. His comments came as the Prime Minister agreed with the EU to ‘go the extra mile’ and continue tr...

15 Dec 2020

China Sees New Surge in Pork Prices With Imports Under Scrutiny

14 Dec 2020

Brexit: Lamb sector ‘contingency planning’ for UK

A four nations approach to “contingency planning” for the lamb sector is being discussed between the Welsh and UK governments. NFU Cymru has criticised a lack of no-deal planning, saying “implications haven’t been taken seriously”. The UK governme...

14 Dec 2020

Food Standards Agency extends shelf-life for chilled beef, pork and lamb

CHILLED MEAT has been granted an increased shelf life of 13 days following a UK-wide consultation. The Food Standards Association has revised its 10-day use-by rule for vacuum and modified atmosphere packed fresh beef, lamb and pork, in a move which is hoped will benefit both ...

14 Dec 2020

BMPA welcomes FSA’s revision to shelf-life guidance for meat products

The British Meat Processors Association has welcomed the decision by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) to revise the guidance on fresh meat sell-by dates in line with the new scientific evidence. Following years of scientific research, it has been proven that use-by dates c...

14 Dec 2020

R J Balson and Son using Whatsapp to connect with customers this Christmas

BRITAIN’S oldest butcher is making use of modern technology to promote its Christmas meats in a secure, contact-free way. R J Balson and Son in Bridport is using the WhatsApp Business app to help sell turkeys and other produce. A QR code will be displayed on the shopfron...

11 Dec 2020

Germany continues talks with China over pork import bans

HAMBURG, Dec 10 (Reuters) – The German government is continuing intensive talks with China about relaxing import bans on German pork imposed after the discovery of African swine fever (ASF) in the country this autumn, Germany’s agriculture ministry said on Thursday. Ch...

11 Dec 2020

Soaring pork exports buck downward trend for UK food and drink

Pork has bucked an otherwise declining trend within the UK food and drink sector to significantly increase export volumes so far this year. In terms of export value, pork now lies fifth on the list of UK food and drink products, behind only whisky, chocolate salmon and chees...

11 Dec 2020

UK red meat sector faces ‘permanent change’ in new year

The UK red meat sector must prepare for ‘inevitable and permanent change’ from 1 January 2021, an industry body has warned. Concerns have been raised over a possible no-deal between the UK and the EU, and the possibility of WTO tariffs hitting key export markets ha...

11 Dec 2020

Flush with cash, Chinese hog producer builds world’s largest pig farm

NANYANG, China (Reuters) – Behind the walls of a hulking industrial compound in rural China, top pig producer Muyuan Foods is trying to raise more hogs on a single site than any company in the world – a risky investment with deadly African swine fever lingering. Th...

11 Dec 2020

Nestle launches plant-based meats in China

Nestle SA is jumping into the fake-meat business in China, seeking to revive weakening sales there by grabbing market share in the world’s biggest pork-consuming nation. The Swiss company Wednesday introduced a range of plant-based meat alternatives in China under its Harves...

11 Dec 2020

How other nations are feasting on China’s beef with Australia

At the China International Import expo in Shanghai last month, the Argentinian Beef Association was ready to pounce on Australia’s misfortune. Argentina has maintained strong diplomatic relations with China since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. Beijing sent to...

11 Dec 2020

Eustice refuses to offer support for local abattoir network

Defra Secretary George Eustice has been accused of ‘missing the point’ on slaughterhouse investment, after he suggested no local abattoir network policy was needed to accommodate Government plans for shorter livestock journeys. Last week, the Government launched an eight-w...

11 Dec 2020

Further increases for GB lamb

GB lamb prices rose yet again in the latest week. In the week ending 9 December, the GB liveweight NSL SQQ lifted by almost 2p to average 218.13p/kg. This measure is now 26p above the same week last year, and 44p above the five-year average. Total throughput at British auction...

11 Dec 2020

Plant & Bean ‘meat’ factory set to open in Lincolnshire

A vegan “meat” factory is set to open in Lincolnshire, creating up to 500 jobs. Plant & Bean said the 65-acre site in Boston would help meet an increased demand for plant-based products. The factory is due to open in the new year, and bosses said it would be Eu...

09 Dec 2020

‘Major change’: AHDB unveils 2021-2026 strategy

AHDB has unveiled its new five-year strategy with a focus on improving accountability, boosting export markets and farm business performance. The 2021-2026 strategy [PDF] lays out AHDB’s plans for the next five years as it embarks on a ‘major change’ to imp...

09 Dec 2020

‘Resourcing crisis’ could hit exports after 1 Jan, industry warns

Farming groups have called for ‘urgent action’ from government as exporters of Products of Animal Origin face a ‘resourcing crisis’ after 1 January 2021. If outstanding issues are not resolved, 2021 export volumes could be reduced by up to half of curre...

09 Dec 2020

China trade bans spread to big lamb exporters

Chinese trade sanctions have spread to lamb with two of Australia’s biggest exporters effectively banned from the industry’s biggest market. China is refusing to accept sheep meat from Australian Lamb Company and JBS Brooklyn after they were closed for short period...

09 Dec 2020

Beef imports to EU should be suspended in event of no-deal Brexit – IFA

The Irish Farmers Association has said that all beef imports into the European Union should be “suspended immediately” in the event of a no-deal Brexit. The IFA President, Tim Cullinan, said that the Mercosur Trade Agreement – which would allow for the impor...

09 Dec 2020

Small English Town Poised to Become Europe’s Fake-Meat Capital

(Bloomberg) — Surrounded by some of England’s most fertile farmland, the small town of Boston will become Europe’s fake-meat capital next month with the opening of a giant factory making plant-based burgers and sausages. Plant & Bean Ltd.’s new factory, the lar...

08 Dec 2020

China imports 775,000 tonnes of meat in November – customs

BEIJING, Dec 7 (Reuters) – China imported 775,000 tonnes of meat in November, customs data showed on Monday, slightly up from the prior month as buyers stocked up for the winter months, China’s peak demand season. Imports were up 1.8% from October’s 761,000 tonnes bu...

08 Dec 2020

Lamb revenue boosted by almost £2.5m thanks to nationwide campaign

A six-week campaign to encourage British shoppers to Make It with lamb has generated an additional £2.45million in sales, new data has revealed. A collective effort between Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) England, Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) and Hybu Cig...

08 Dec 2020

Welsh beef and lamb ‘among lowest greenhouse gas emissions’

WELSH lamb and beef producers have the potential to be some of the most sustainable meat farming systems in the world, according to researchers. A study from Bangor University found Welsh sheep and beef farms using non-intensive methods have among the lowest greenhouse gas emi...

07 Dec 2020

China suspends importation of more Australian beef as trade battle escalates

China has suspended the importation of more Australian beef, this time from Meramist Pty Ltd, the sixth supplier to face such a move in a country that is one of China’s main meat suppliers. China made the decision yesterday but did not provide a reason. It has already ba...

07 Dec 2020

Brexit: Lambs to the slaughter

Brexit talks have been passed back to negotiators, with little sign of progress from the UK and EU leadership, and with no deal getting worryingly close for exporters. Sheep meat is one sector facing particularly high tariffs – put there to protect British and other Euro...

07 Dec 2020

Hong Kong suspends import of poultry meat and products from areas in Germany and Japan

Hong Kong Government press release The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (December 7) that in view of notifications from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and Japanese authorities about outbreaks of highl...

07 Dec 2020

Bird flu outbreak confirmed at second Norfolk turkey farm

A turkey farm near King’s Lynn has become Norfolk’s second confirmed case of bird flu within 24 hours. Animal health officials have confirmed the highly-pathogenic H5N8 strain of avian influenza in rearing turkeys at a premises between Gayton and East Winch. Defr...

05 Dec 2020

China’s coronavirus testing rules for frozen meats give importers a chill

Companies report already-low margins are being squeezed further as they comply with stricter requirements, despite WHO advice Cases of imports contaminated with the virus continue to pile up and Chinese officials are taking no chances China has pressed ahead with coronavirus t...

05 Dec 2020

GB lamb prices strengthen

Both liveweight and deadweight GB lamb prices rose in the latest week. In the week ending 2 December, the GB liveweight NSL SQQ rose by 2.4p to average 216.2p/kg. The measure continues to run well above historic prices, being up 22.6p on last year’s price and up 40.6p on ...

05 Dec 2020

China’s meat imports could plunge next year

China’s vigorous testing of all inbound frozen food shipments for virus risk, as well as the recovery in domestic hog numbers, could cause meat imports to plunge as much as 30% next year. Long and cumbersome testing procedures increase the risks for meat importers, prompting...

03 Dec 2020

Calls for investment in abattoir network after live export ban consultation launched

Industry bodies have called for heavy investment in a local abattoir network after the Government launched a consultation on banning live exports. Defra Secretary George Eustice said the move would ‘strengthen the UK’s position as a world leader on animal welfare’, but t...

03 Dec 2020

BVA anticipates tough times ahead for UK vets

The UK veterinary profession is facing a tough future with Covid, Brexit, and exotic disease all taking their toll, according to a new report from the British Veterinary Association (BVA). The report assesses the readiness of the UK and raises serious questions around veteri...

03 Dec 2020

Another challenging week as pork plant capacity remains under pressure

Last week proved to be another challenging one with kill capacities still below the norm, and little opportunity to process the typical throughputs for this time of year, according to Thames Valley Cambac. “This meant that the slaughter pig backlog increased again, with seri...

03 Dec 2020

Prime cattle prices lift once more

The prime cattle market continued to climb in the most recent week. In the week ending 28 November, the GB all prime average stood at 374.8p/kg, up on the previous week by 1.5p. This measure is now 48p above the price achieved for the same week last year, and around 27p above ...

03 Dec 2020

GB pig prices drop back further

In the week ending 28 November, the EU-spec SPP dropped back by 1.87p to average 152.02p/kg. This now puts prices 7.52p below this time last year. Estimated throughput is down on the previous week by 5,100 head to total 173,000 head. This is another very low throughput for the...

03 Dec 2020

British Pig & Poultry Fair put back until 2022

The next British Pig & Poultry Fair will take place in May 2022, rather than May 2021 as had been provisionally planned. Following the cancellation of the 2020 event due to COVID-19, provisional dates for were announced for May 2021. But in an update on Friday, Alice Be...

03 Dec 2020

Live animal exports to be banned in England and Wales

Sending live animals abroad for slaughter will be banned in England and Wales under new government plans. Environment Secretary George Eustice said the ban could be in force by the end of 2021 in a post-Brexit break from EU trade rules. The RSPCA welcomed the move, saying it w...

02 Dec 2020

Groups call for Covid vaccine priority for meat workers

Key workers in the meat industry should have priority access to Covid-19 vaccinations given the importance of the UK food chain, industry groups have said. A letter has been sent to the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, urging government to place key workers in ...

02 Dec 2020

Singapore approves sale of lab-grown meat in world first

SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Singapore has given U.S. start-up Eat Just the greenlight to sell its lab-grown chicken meat, in what the firm says is the world’s first regulatory approval for so-called clean meat that does not come from slaughtered animals. The meat, to be sold...

02 Dec 2020

New Zealand red meat exports drop

The value of New Zealand red meat exports dropped 18% in October compared to the previous year. The market analysis, by the Meat Industry Association, also showed that sheepmeat exports fell by 25%. A 14% fall in the value of beef exports was also reported. Exports and co-prod...

01 Dec 2020

Australia: Qatar moves to shut down $300m lamb trade after strip search row

Qatar has taken steps to shut down the $300 million-a-year lamb trade with Australia in the latest blow to farmers and meat processors already suffering from China import bans. In what some see as another retaliatory blow linked to culturally insensitive diplomacy, Qatar has a...

01 Dec 2020

BVA welcome for Scottish abattoir CCTV

The BVA has welcomed new legislation in Scotland that will make CCTVs compulsory in the country’s abattoirs. Legislation was approved by the Scottish Parliament on 11 November and will come into force on 1 July 2021. Introduction of CCTV coverage in slaughterhouses has been ...

01 Dec 2020

Red meat sales beef up as more shoppers turn to local butchers

Sales of Scottish red meat through butchers are up by a fifth, according to Quality Meat Scotland (QMS). Analysis from the levy body reveals red meat sales through butcher shops are growing faster than the market average. QMS said butchers were experiencing a 21.7% increase in...

30 Nov 2020

German minister urges meatpackers to work overtime to clear farm backlog

HAMBURG (Reuters) – Germany’s agriculture minister called on Friday for slaughterhouses and meatpackers to work at weekends and on public holidays to deal with a backlog of animals that has built up on farms during the coronavirus crisis. Industry estimates are that 59...

30 Nov 2020

Saudi Arabia has suspended Turkish meat imports – Turkish union

ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Saudi Arabia formally suspended imports of meat, eggs and other products from Turkey earlier this month, the Turkish exporters’ union said, after a months-long informal boycott of Turkish goods over political tensions between the two regional rival...

30 Nov 2020

Steak out: China’s coronavirus testing chokes beef trade

BEIJING (Reuters) – In a supermarket in downtown Beijing, refrigerator shelves normally filled with steak from around the world sit empty as tougher testing for the novel coronavirus creates supply bottlenecks and raises prices for importers. Fresh supplies of beef won�...

27 Nov 2020

Chinese beef imports rise as consumer tastes evolve

Chinese imports of beef have recorded impressive growth this year. In the year to September, China imported 1.57 million tonnes of fresh and frozen beef, according to Chinese government statistics. This is almost 40% more than the same period in the previous year. This is a...

26 Nov 2020

78 meat factory workers test positive for Covid-19

Health officials are investigating after 78 workers at a meat processing plant in Aberdeenshire tested positive for Covid-19. NHS Grampian does not believe the cluster of cases at the Kepak McIntosh Donald in Portlethen has spread beyond the plant, but testing of 200 employees...

26 Nov 2020

Covid-19 outbreak at Kepak meat processing factory, Bodmin

ADDITIONAL testing is to be carried out on staff after an outbreak of Covid 19 at a Cornish meat processing plant. Public Health England (PHE) South West and Cornwall Council say they are aware of a number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 at Kepak meat processing factory, Bodmin...

25 Nov 2020

Australian Lamb and mutton price gap closes in

Elevated mutton prices off the back of heavy demand coinciding with easing lamb prices has seen the price relationship between the two edge closer. Last week the National Mutton Indicator and the National Lamb Indicator (NTLI) moved closer together with mutton sitting just 17 ...

25 Nov 2020

China reports 22 new coronavirus cases as Tianjin flags ‘pig head’ link

SHANGHAI (Reuters) – China recorded 22 new COVID-19 infections on Nov. 23, up from 11 a day earlier, the country’s health authority said, while an official from the city of Tianjin said two confirmed cases this month caught the virus from pig heads from North America. ...

25 Nov 2020

‘Very stressful’: COVID-19 surge slices U.S. demand for big Thanksgiving turkeys

CHICAGO (Reuters) – All summer, Greg Gunthorp slaughtered and froze 15- to 24-pound turkeys on his northeastern Indiana farm for Thanksgiving sales to retailers, restaurants and families across the Midwest. But as surging COVID-19 cases prompted U.S. cities and states to...

25 Nov 2020

Taiwan voices confidence in trade deal with new U.S. government

TAIPEI (Reuters) – Taiwan’s foreign minister voiced confidence on Saturday that the incoming government of U.S. President-elect Joe Biden would support a long sought-after bilateral trade agreement, following high level economic talks with the outgoing administration. ...

25 Nov 2020

China to remain pork importer for 4-5 years – Danish Crown CEO

COPENHAGEN, Nov 19 (Reuters) – The world’s top pork consumer China is likely to remain an importer of the meat for up to five years as new outbreaks of African swine fever delays attempts to restore pig production, head of Europe’s biggest pork producer said on Thurs...

25 Nov 2020

China’s irritated trade partners push back on coronavirus food tests

BEIJING/GENEVA (Reuters) – Major food-producing countries are growing increasingly frustrated with China’s scrutiny of imported products and are calling on it to stop aggressive testing for the coronavirus, which some say is tantamount to a trade restriction. China say...

24 Nov 2020

Alliance pleased with performance despite sharp profit drop

One-off costs including retrospective payments to workers have pulled the meat processor Alliance’s profit before tax down to $7.5 million. This compares with a $20.7m profit before tax in 2019. But before adjusting for one-off events, the farmer-owned co-operative made ...

24 Nov 2020

Vaccine could keep meat supply chain rolling

The British Meat Processing Association makes its case for meat processing workers to be front of the queue for COVID-19 vaccine. The world has been buoyed in recent weeks by the results of late-stage trials of vaccines against COVID-19, which have indicated strong immune resp...

19 Nov 2020

Brexit: NI farmers support all-Ireland beef status bid

Northern Ireland farmers have insisted their beef should be included in an all-Ireland bid for special EU status. It is to be asked to approve special recognition for beef which is raised on grass. It is what is known as a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) and is a prize...

19 Nov 2020

Exploring benefits of pasture-raised beef and lamb

New Zealanders will be invited to take part in a major research programme to assess the health and wellbeing benefits of eating pasture-raised beef and lamb, compared to alternatives. Approximately 100 people will be monitored in two ground-breaking clinical studies, led by re...

19 Nov 2020

GB finished pig prices have recorded another week of decline in the week ending 14 November. The EU-spec SPP fell by 1.29p on the week to average 154.05p/kg. This puts the measure almost 4.3p below the same week in the previous year. The price for carcases 70.0-104.9kg al...

19 Nov 2020

Beyond Meat launches plant-based minced pork in China

Hong Kong (CNN Business)Beyond Meat is launching a plant-based version of China’s favorite meat. The California-based company unveiled its latest product on Wednesday: meatless minced “pork.” The new product is intended to mimic the taste of the popular filli...

19 Nov 2020

Belgian Meat Office: The Philippines Lift Ban on Importing European Pork from Belgium

BRUSSELS, Nov. 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — On 26 October, the Philippine Government published a memorandum order to lift the temporary ban on the importation of domestic pigs and their products from Belgium. The order took immediate effect. Just over two years after the ASF ...

19 Nov 2020

Sheep farmers need EU trade deal, says Conservative MP

Getting a post-Brexit trade deal with the European Union is “very important to sheep farming”, a Tory MP has said. Former Welsh Secretary Stephen Crabb said agricultural communities would not be “satisfied” if the transition period ended without an agre...

17 Nov 2020

Covid cases confirmed at Scotbeef meat plant

Operations were paused at one of the country’s main meat processing plants earlier this week after a number of its staff tested positive for Covid-19. Scotbeef confirmed the cases at its Bridge of Allan plant and said a phased return to getting the facility up and running wa...

17 Nov 2020

Ag Bill secures fairer share of red meat levy for GB nations

Changes to the distribution of the GB red meat levy will be implemented next year, with Scotland and Wales receiving more than £1m from English abattoirs. The passing of the Agriculture Bill has helped secure a fairer share of the red meat levy for England, Scotland and Wales...

17 Nov 2020

Pig farming in Croatia under threat

ZAGREB, Nov 17 (Hina) – The Croatian association of pig farmers (HUPS) on Tuesday warned that the import of pigs and pork of suspect quality and health safety at dumping prices is continuing, which poses a major threat to pig farming in Croatia. “The pig market in Croatia ...

17 Nov 2020

Meat from plants: Could animal proteins grown in GM crops be used to make burgers?

Using a genetic engineering technique known as molecular farming, believes it can leverage the scale of production of crop farming to create animal proteins more cost effectively than other forms of cellular agriculture – like cultured meat – can do today. The technique, ...

16 Nov 2020

New Zealand’s Ardern says no COVID on meat exports; checking Chinese claims

WELLINGTON (Reuters) – New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Monday she was confident no meat products were exported from the country with COVID-19, after Chinese authorities said they had detected coronavirus on its frozen beef products. The Chinese city of ...

16 Nov 2020

Hong Kong suspends Import of poultry meat and products from areas in Russia, Netherlands and UK

The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (November 16) that in view of notifications from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza in Khanty-Mansi Autonomou...

16 Nov 2020

Tyson Foods announces plans to expand poultry processing in Europe

Tyson Foods has announced plans to build new production facilities in China and Thailand, and expand its facility in the Netherlands. The latest expansions, adding over 100,000 metric tons of fully cooked poultry capacity, build on the company’s global growth strategy. “Gl...

15 Nov 2020

Scottish meat company enjoys online sales boost during lockdown

A massive increase in online sales has helped one of Scotland’s leading meat suppliers weather the coronavirus pandemic. Campbell’s Prime Meat, which is one of Scotland’s biggest suppliers of meat direct to hotels, restaurants and caterers, reported a 350% increase in on...

15 Nov 2020

China finds coronavirus on frozen beef, tripe from various countries

BEIJING (Reuters) – The eastern Chinese city of Jinan said it has found the new coronavirus on beef and tripe, and on packaging for these products, from Brazil, New Zealand and Bolivia as China ramps up testing on frozen foods. The importers were a unit of Guotai Interna...

13 Nov 2020

Heavy lambs lose £5-£10 as lockdown 2 hits

Catering outlet closures hit heavy lamb prices at the start of the week as the sheep sector faced a second national lockdown and market disruption. Monday’s heavy lamb values slipped 9.8p/kg on the week for 45.6-52kg offerings and 52kg-plus lots were back 20-25p/kg to below ...

13 Nov 2020

Deadweight lamb prices show promise whilst liveweight drop back

Liveweight lamb prices dropped back slightly over the last week. The GB liveweight NSL SQQ price averaged 204.79p/kg for the week ending 11 November. Liveweight lamb prices are down nearly 5p on the previous week, however they are still up 17p on the same week last year. Durin...

13 Nov 2020

Russian pig meat exports soar on back of strong production growth

Russian exports of pig meat (incl. offal) have continued to perform well this year, reflecting the growth in production. Russian exports between January and August totalled 143,300 tonnes, 80% more than the same period in the previous year. The nation has gained access ...

13 Nov 2020

McDonald’s to launch plant-based burger next year

McDonald’s is the latest fast food giant to capitalise on the plant-based market after it announced its first ever vegan burger will be sold from 2021. McDonald’s, which has over 38,000 stores worldwide, is launching the ‘McPlant’ burger to cater to the...

13 Nov 2020

China finds coronavirus on packaging of Brazilian beef

BEIJING (Reuters) – The Chinese city of Wuhan said on Friday it had detected the novel coronavirus on the packaging of a batch of Brazilian beef, as it ramped up testing of frozen foods this week as part of a nationwide campaign. The Wuhan Municipal Health Commission sai...

11 Nov 2020

Electric nose sniffs out freshness of meat

A team of scientists led by Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore have invented an artificial olfactory system that mimics the mammalian nose and aims to assess the freshness of meat. The ‘electric nose’ (e-nose) comprises a ‘barcode’ that reacts with gases...

10 Nov 2020

China’s Appetite For Meat Continues To Strengthen

Despite the impact of COVID-19 and African swine fever, China’s appetite for meat is showing no sign of slowing down. The country is the world’s largest consumer of meat by some margin, with citizens expected to eat 40.3 million metric tons of pork in 2020, according t...

10 Nov 2020

Premium Meat processor reports a €1.29m loss for 2019 and ‘notable reduction’ in some trading activity due to Covid 19

A meat processing group co-owned by ABP recorded a pre-tax loss of €1.29m last year after a drop in revenues. New consolidated accounts for the Slaney Foods and Irish Country Meats businesses show that Wexford Beef & Lamb Unlimited Company (WBL) recorded a pre-tax loss o...

10 Nov 2020

Beef exports take a €70m hit from Covid restrictions in EU markets

Irish beef shipments to key European markets have been severely impacted by Covid-19, with export volumes to some prime markets back as much as 20pc. Stark figures from Bord Bia for the first eight months of this year show a sharp decline in exports of beef to the UK, France, ...

10 Nov 2020

UK ban imposed on freight drivers who have been in Denmark over past 14 days

The Government has banned freight drivers who have been in or passed through Denmark in the last 14 days, following the emergence of a new strain of coronavirus in mink in the the country. The announcement follows the release of further information from health authorities i...

09 Nov 2020

UK beef self-sufficiency and impacts of Brexit

In 2019, the UK was 86% self-sufficient for Beef. This was an increase of 6% on the previous year due to a combination of increased production and reduced consumption. More beef needed to be exported to balance the market. With self-sufficiency at this level, the UK is of cour...

09 Nov 2020

Nestle uses insect protein in Purina pet food

LONDON/ZURICH (Reuters) – Nestle’s Purina brand is launching a line of pet food using insects, as the world’s biggest food group tests more environmentally sustainable protein sources. The move addresses a trend of people seeking more eco-friendly or allergen-free di...

09 Nov 2020

McDonald’s to debut ‘McPlant’ in 2021

(Reuters) – Burger chain McDonald’s Corp on Monday decided to debut a line of plant-based meat alternatives called “McPlant” in 2021, including a patty that Beyond Meat subsequently said it helped co-create. “Beyond Meat and McDonald’s co-created t...

09 Nov 2020

Backlog on farms ‘inevitable’ as COVID problems curtail processing

A backlog of pigs on farms is inevitable as pork processing factories continue to face problems with COVID-19, according to Thames Valley Cambac. Significant problems were experienced last week at two large plants, while others had kills curtailed sharply, as the supply cha...

09 Nov 2020

Reduced kills at pork plants becoming a concern in run-up to Christmas

The state of the market is now more about movement of volume rather than price, according to Thames Valley Cambac. Alongside the partial closure of Cranswick’s Watton site due to COVID-19, there are a growing number of reduced kills at other plants. At a time of year whe...

09 Nov 2020

Coronavirus outbreak infects staff at south Shropshire abattoir

Euro Quality Lambs, which employs around 100 staff in Craven Arms, confirmed eight of its employees had tested positive for coronavirus over the last two weeks. The Dale Street-based abattoir said a further 18 people were tested as a precaution and returned negative tests. Riz...

06 Nov 2020

Taiwan bans importation of Japan poultry on reports of bird flu

Taipei, Nov. 5 (CNA) Taiwan has removed Japan from its list of countries free of avian influenza and banned the import of poultry products from that country, after an outbreak was confirmed on a farm there, the Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine (BAPHI...

06 Nov 2020

Covid: 256 workers at Cranswick Country Foods test positive

More than 250 workers have tested positive for Covid-19 after an outbreak at a meat processing plant, a director of public health has said. Around 1,000 staff at Cranswick County Foods at Watton in Norfolk have now been tested for the virus. Norfolk County Council director of ...

06 Nov 2020

Mixed bag for GB lamb prices

In the week ending 4 November, the GB NSL liveweight SQQ price jumped by over 10p to average 209.55p/kg. The measure currently stands at nearly 32p above last year’s price and nearly 42p above the five-year average for the time of year. Total lamb throughput at British auct...

05 Nov 2020

3,500 jobs to go as Sainsbury’s axes meat, fish and deli counters

The grocer said the closure of the counters is part of efforts to ‘better reflect customer demand’ and will save the business around £60 million. Sainsbury’s has said it will cut around 3,500 jobs as part of plans to permanently close all its meat, fish and deli counter...

05 Nov 2020

African swine fever confirmed in second German state

African swine fever (ASF) has been confirmed in a second German state, Saxony, in the district of Görlitz, close to the Polish border. By November 1, the Friedrich Loeffler Institute had confirmed 123 cases, all in wild boar. Domestic pig herds in Germany are still free of AS...

04 Nov 2020

Foot and mouth disease outbreak spreads in Namibia

WINDHOEK (Reuters) – Foot and mouth disease-prone Namibia has been hit by another outbreak of the highly contagious disease a month after it was detected in the north of the country, the ministry of agriculture said on Wednesday. The disease, which does not affect humans...

04 Nov 2020

Denmark reverses ‘two meat-free days a week’ policy

Denmark has reversed its stance on imposing two meat-free days a week in state canteens, with the government now saying it is up to individual workplaces whether they want to introduce it or not. Officials had planned to introduce two vegetarian days a week in the canteens, al...

28 Oct 2020

U.S., Vietnam sign $500 million deal to form ‘Pork Consortium’

HANOI (Reuters) – The Vietnam Trade Alliance, a grouping of buyers and producers, signed a pact on Wednesday to buy up to $500 million worth of American pork over three years, the U.S. embassy in Hanoi said on Wednesday. A memorandum of understanding called a “U.S.-Vie...

26 Oct 2020

Beef and lamb producers share fears over no-deal Brexit trade tariffs

Red meat exporters in Wales say they are ready for Brexit – but are still worried about tariffs. Lamb and beef exporters in Wales are as prepared as they can be for new paperwork and administration at the end of the Brexit transition period. But they are very concerned about...

24 Oct 2020

Veggie Burgers Can Be Called Burgers, European Parliament Says

The European Parliament came together Friday to vote on a variety of issues, including whether a veggie burger is a burger. Farmer lobbyists argued no. Environmentalists said yes. The Parliament said yes, too, in a decisive vote against a measure that would ban plant-based m...

24 Oct 2020

Germany takes extra slice of EU pork sales after Asian ban

HAMBURG/LONDON, Oct 21 (Reuters) – Germany’s meat processors are sending pork chops and bacon previously earmarked for Asia to supermarkets across the European Union after China, South Korea and Japan banned German imports due to an outbreak of African Swine Fever in w...

24 Oct 2020

China sets 95% self-sufficiency target for pig meat

A document recently released by the Chinese Government highlights their ambitions for food security in livestock sectors. The nation is now aiming to produce 95% of its pig meat demand domestically, achieved through a rapid rebuilding of its pig herd following the ASF epid...

24 Oct 2020

Chinese pork imports skyrocket, but it may be short lived

Global pork demand rebounded following Covid-19 disruption in most geographies, yet supply remains constrained in many Asian markets, senior analyst of animal protein Rabobank, Christine McCracken has reported. The imbalance continues to support strong export demand from the r...

23 Oct 2020

High lambing rates boost Scottish lamb crop

Productivity improvements have boosted the Scottish lamb crop in 2020 with the Scottish Government’s June census for 2020 indicating a lamb crop almost 70,000 head higher than last year. “Scotland’s lamb crop now sits at just over 3.32m, an increase of 2.1 per cent,” s...

20 Oct 2020

NZ meat exports at risk

Nearly half of NZ’s meat exports are at risk unless there is urgent action by government to allow migrant workers to stay in New Zealand. That’s the warning from NZ’s meat processing sector organisation the Meat Industry Association (MIA). It claims meat processing and e...

20 Oct 2020

China pork production shows signs of recovery

BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s third-quarter pork production rose 18% from a year earlier to 8.4 million tonnes, according to Reuters calculations based on official data, pointing to the first signs of recovery in the world’s top producer. It was the first quarter since...

16 Oct 2020

Making a meal of it – England’s pubs ponder pasties to beat lockdown curbs

LONDON (Reuters) – Pub owners across England’s COVID-19 hotspots were on Tuesday pondering a question that could decide if they survive or sink due to the coronavirus lockdown – when is a pub a pub, and when does it become a restaurant? The question has sparked a...

16 Oct 2020

Pilgrim’s Pride strikes plea deal over U.S. chicken price-fixing charges

(Reuters) – U.S. poultry company Pilgrim’s Pride Corp said on Wednesday it will pay a $110.5 million fine after striking a plea deal with the Justice Department over price-fixing charges on chicken products. The guilty plea makes Pilgrim’s Pride, mostly owned...

16 Oct 2020

BBC admits meat documentary breached impartiality guidelines

A controversial BBC programme which blamed livestock production for climate change has been pulled off iPlayer after the broadcaster admitted it breached impartiality guidelines. The NFU issued a complaint to the BBC over inaccuracy and bias in its hour-long documentary ‘M...

15 Oct 2020

Coronavirus continues to impact Australian lamb market

The Coronavirus continues to impact on Australia’s lamb market as consumer demand remains uncertain, particularly in export markets, according to Rural Bank’s commodity insights update released this week. Tony Williams, Rural Bank’s Regional Manager Agribusin...

14 Oct 2020

Carbon tax ‘unfair’ hit on Welsh beef cattle

Plans to impose a £100 carbon tax on prime beef cattle finished later than 27 months old could result in the phasing out of important traditional breeds that play an important role in managing Wales’ hills and uplands. The industry body, the National Beef Association (NBA),...

14 Oct 2020

Norway is faced with a lack of pork ribs so tariffs on imported pork are being cut

From Tuesday, tariffs on pork will be reduced as the coronavirus pandemic has contributed to greater demand. According to Nortura – a Norwegian agricultural cooperative that operates slaughterhouses and other processing plants related to meat – more ribs will be imported t...

14 Oct 2020

Brazil keen to show EU-Mercosur accord still has support in Europe

Brazilian Agriculture Minister Tereza Cristina Dias said Portugal favors swift approval of the trade agreement between the European Union and the South American trade bloc Mercosur as she visited Lisbon, according to a statement late on Monday. “We remain committed so that t...

12 Oct 2020

Scotch Beef misses out on historic day

Scottish beef farmers have missed out on having their produce included in the first export of UK beef to the United States in 20 years. When American chefs, butchers, importers, distributors, wholesalers and members of the press sit down to samples of sirloin and topside mini ...

12 Oct 2020

CLA issues warning about impact of a no-deal on lamb sector

THE Country Land and Business Association (CLA) has issued a stark warning this week to the Government on the impact that a no-deal would have on Britain’s competitiveness in EU agricultural markets. The CLA, which represents 30,000 rural businesses in England and Wales, say...

12 Oct 2020

Drought shrinks NZ flock and lamb crop

The New Zealand national flock shrank by 2% in the year to 30 June, according to the latest stock survey by Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ). Much of the fall was due to lower numbers of hoggets, which decreased by 8% to 8.4 million head. This was mostly due to many farmers d...

09 Oct 2020

‘Dangerous’ for UK sheep sector to be so heavily reliant on EU market, warns Truss

Trade Secretary Liz Truss has warned it is ‘dangerous’ for the UK sheep sector to be so heavily reliant on the EU market for lamb exports. The Minister said she thought it was important from a resilience perspective for the UK to open up new markets for British lamb. “Cu...

09 Oct 2020

After softening in recent weeks, prime cattle prices remained steady in the week ending the 3 October. The GB all prime average deadweight cattle price stood at 367.5p/kg, up 0.5p on the week before. Despite the recent declines, prices remain high compared to last year, up 45p...

09 Oct 2020

Chinese wholesale pork prices fall despite decision to ban German imports

Despite China now no longer accepting German pork after African Swine Fever has been detected in Germany’s pig herd, the Asian country’s wholesale pork prices have fallen according to the latest numbers from the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture. Estimates indicate that ...

09 Oct 2020

NI beef processors place hope in US to replace ‘lost’ Canadian market

Meat processors in Northern Ireland are hoping newly-cleared access to the US could replace sales to the Canadian market, should access be lost following the UK’s Brexit completion. Two Northern Ireland processers are among the first from the UK to be approved for access to ...

09 Oct 2020

The first lab-grown meat for sale could come from this Singapore startup that’s re-creating shrimp

SINGAPORE — In an industrial corner of Singapore, multiplying steadily in bioreactors heated precisely to 82 degrees, real shrimp meat is being grown from samples of the crustacean’s microscopic cells. Fed a nutrient-rich soup meant to mimic its diet in the wild, a sing...

09 Oct 2020

ABP creates 200 new entry level positions for young people

UK food producer ABP has announced it is creating 200 new entry level vacancies and apprenticeships in collaboration with Youth Employment UK, an organisation dedicated to tackling youth unemployment. The new positions, available in areas such as butchery, abattoir, process im...

09 Oct 2020

SPP continues to fall

In the week ending 3 October, the GB EU-spec SPP stood at 158.23p/kg, falling on the week by 1.39p. This was the largest weekly decline since January 2018. All weight bands, except those under 59.9kg, fell in price. Low prices across the continent continue to influence domesti...

09 Oct 2020

Finished lambs drop back, but still remain up on last year

In the week ending 7 October, the GB liveweight NSL SQQ averaged 196.96p/kg, down 0.85p on the previous week. Despite this minimal decrease, prices still remain up by in excess of 29p/kg compared to this time last year. The gap remains tight between prices for store lam...

09 Oct 2020

Farmer backlash over controversial NBA beef proposals

A number of farmers have threatened to quit the National Beef Association (NBA) over a controversial report which recommended redefining the age of prime cattle to improve the industry’s carbon footprint. A major row erupted after details of the report, published in Farmers...

09 Oct 2020

Millions of lambs ‘may go to waste’ after no-deal Brexit

The imposition of tariffs and regulatory checks in the event of a no-deal could lead to millions of lamb carcasses going to waste, a rural group warns. A no-deal after the transition period ends on 31 December 2020 will have a detrimental effect on the UK farming sectors most ...

08 Oct 2020

German meatpackers should work longer hours after virus curbs – minister

HAMBURG, Oct 8 (Reuters) – Germany’s agriculture minister on Thursday called for state governments to allow abattoirs and meatpackers to work longer hours to deal with a backlog of animals that built up on farms during the coronavirus crisis. German farming association...

08 Oct 2020

Key US buyers to sample first shipment of UK beef

The first shipment of UK beef to the US in more than 20 years will be sampled by key buyers as part of an event aiming to boost British beef in America. High-profile US chefs, butchers and members of the press will be targeted at the event, which will take place on Tuesday 13 ...

08 Oct 2020

Coronavirus outbreak at Scunthorpe meat processing factory

An outbreak of Covid-19 has occurred at a meat processing factory. A number of workers at the Karro Food plant in Scunthorpe are self-isolating after testing positive, and a mobile testing unit has been brought in. The firm said it was working closely with North Lincolnshire C...

08 Oct 2020

Sark unveils new abattoir

Sark has moved to “safeguard” its traditional farming industry with the creation of a new abattoir to meet modern standards and allow the small island to export its meat. The abattoir, designed and project managed by John Robinson, was officially opened by Lt-Gover...

08 Oct 2020

Chinese wholesale pork prices fall despite decision to ban German imports

06 Oct 2020

Asda commits to sourcing 100% British beef as part of takeover

Asda has pledged to move to 100% British sourced beef as it announced a takeover by a pair of Blackburn based brothers. A consortium of Zuber and Mohsin Issa and private equity firm TDR Capital will take a majority stake in Asda from the US based Walmart. The brothers are the ...

06 Oct 2020

UK lamb prices ‘remain firm’ compared to 2019

Firm farmgate prices are positioning UK lamb as a serious competitor in European markets, according to the latest analysis by Quality Meat Scotland. Despite dipping below 200 p/kg lwt in auction markets, prime lamb prices remain firm in comparison to 2019 standing 25% higher t...

06 Oct 2020

UK pig backlog must be cleared ahead of festive period – TVC

The UK backlog of pigs needs to cleared quickly ahead of the looming festive period, according to Thames Valley Cambac. In its weekly update, TVC said the market remained largely unchanged last week, with processors killing as many pigs as possible, which is generally being g...

06 Oct 2020

Retailers told to stock more UK lamb amid vegan expansion

Farmers have challenged Tesco and Asda to boost the availability of British lamb amid plans for the retailers to expand their plant-based food offering. The supermarket giants recently unveiled their intentions to substantially grow their ranges of plant-based foods. Tesco ann...

06 Oct 2020

Additional wild boar control measures announced in Brandenburg as confirmed ASF cases nears 50

Additional measures to control the wild boar population and to find and test dead animals in Brandenburg have been announced as the number of confirmed African swine fever cases in the state approaches 50. Three more cases of ASF were confirmed in wild boar in the region ove...

02 Oct 2020

Beyond Meat partners with supermarket Sainsbury to boost UK presence

(Reuters) – Beyond Meat said on Thursday it has rolled out its plant-based meat burger in 372 Sainsbury stores and 41 Gourmet Burger Kitchen restaurants, in a move to boost its presence in the United Kingdom. Demand for plant-based meat has grown as customers turn incr...

02 Oct 2020

African swine fever thought to have been in Germany since July

African swine fever (ASF) has probably been in Germany since July, the Friedrich Loeffler Institute (FLI) has revealed, as a second distinct outbreak has emerged. The FLI officially confirmed two more cases in wild boar in the Spree-Neisse district on Thursday taking the total...

01 Oct 2020

Addition of butchers to shortage occupation list welcomed by industry

Industry organisations have welcomed the inclusion of butchers on the Migration Advisory Committee’s (MAC) recommended shortage occupation list (SOL). The MAC provides advice to the Government on migration policy, ahead of the introduction of a points-based immigration syst...

01 Oct 2020

Pandemic boosting demand for plant-based foods, Nestle says

KONOLFINGEN, Switzerland (Reuters) – Demand for plant-based foods has picked up during the coronavirus crisis as consumers try to eat more healthily and problems at some factories have hit meat supplies, the head of Swiss food giant Nestle said on Monday. The world’s ...

01 Oct 2020

China temporarily suspends beef imports from Minerva Brazil plant

SAO PAULO/BRASILIA, Sept 30 (Reuters) – China on Wednesday said it would temporarily suspend imports from a beef plant owned by Brazilian meatpacker Minerva SA for a week, in the latest suspension amid concerns over coronavirus contamination in Brazilian meat plants. The...

01 Oct 2020

China’s pig herd rebounds after swine fever, but pork supply will take time to recover

BEIJING, Oct 1 (Reuters) – China’s huge pig herd is rebounding rapidly after being decimated by disease but pork output will take much longer to restore given the low quality of the new herd, say experts and analysts. China’s pork output fell to its lowest level in 1...

01 Oct 2020

Middle East ‘key target market’ for UK meat exports

UK red meat exporters have been told to look more at the Middle East market as the region imports around 90% of all beef and lamb consumed locally. The significance of the Middle East to exporters is rising as figures show shipments of lamb to the region increased 319% between...

01 Oct 2020

Covid: 170 test positive at Cornwall meat plant

Testing has uncovered 170 cases of Covid-19 among workers at a pork meat processing plant in Cornwall. Five hundred staff at Pilgrim’s Pride in Pool, near Camborne, were tested in a contact tracing exercise by the NHS. Most of those who tested positive were unaware they ...

30 Sep 2020

Dire warning over African swine fever

Pig farmers have been told to “batten down the hatches, close the gates and get ready for the storm” that is African swine fever (ASF). With the disease recently discovered in wild boar in Germany, the warning has come from farmers’ union’s pig committee chairman Jamie...

30 Sep 2020

BMPA warns lack of vets will mean lorries ‘won’t even make it out of factory’

The British Meat Processors Association has once again raised concerns over the increased number of vet inspections that will be required after the UK has officially left the EU. After 31 December, every single consignment of meat or meat-based products, from steaks and sa...

30 Sep 2020

Germany finds two more swine fever cases, one in new area

HAMBURG (Reuters) – Two more cases of African swine fever (ASF) have been confirmed in wild boars in the eastern German state of Brandenburg, with one found outside the area of the first discoveries, the federal agriculture ministry said on Wednesday. One new discovery w...

30 Sep 2020

UK beef exports to US resume after more than 20 years

British beef is back on US menus for the first time in more than 20 years as exports restart on Wednesday. The beef was banned after the BSE outbreak in 1996 when cattle were infected by what became commonly known as Mad Cow Disease. Some UK beef was cleared for export in Marc...

28 Sep 2020

Pork rib prices soar in China following the ban on German pig meat imports

The cost of China’s much-loved pork rib dishes is soaring after Beijing suspended imports of pig meat from major supplier Germany, hurting restaurants still recovering from the coronavirus hit earlier this year. Pork ribs are one of China’s best-selling menu items ...

28 Sep 2020

Sheep farmers raise concern over UK-Australia trade deal

British sheep farming must not become the ‘sacrificial lamb’ in future trade deals with Australia and New Zealand, the National Sheep Association has warned. This was the message delivered by the National Sheep Association (NSA) to the International Trade Select co...

28 Sep 2020

Number of African swine fever cases in Germany rises as intensive search continues

As the intensive search for dead wild boar continues in the Brandenburg region of Germany, the official number of confirmed African swine fever (ASF) cases has risen to 35. The Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) said the virus was confirmed by the National Refe...

25 Sep 2020

Millers of Speyside abattoir reopens after Covid-19 outbreak

A Highlands slaughterhouse that closed due to a major outbreak of coronavirus has reopened. Millers of Speyside abattoir closed with immediate effect at the beginning of September when a substantial cluster of Covid-19 cases was detected. The operators of Millers of Speysid...

25 Sep 2020

Lamb prices remain strong

In the week ending 23 September, the GB Liveweight NSL SQQ averaged 208.04p/kg, dropping only 0.74p on the week. Prices continue to remain strong on the year, 45p higher than the same week last year. GB auction market throughputs increased on the week (+4%), totalling 130,000 ...

25 Sep 2020

Wholesaler says relabelling of Uruguayan beef ‘human error’

Food wholesaler Bookers has come under pressure from British beef producers after the company admitted relabelling meat from Uruguay. National Beef Association interim chief executive Neil Shand has called for an urgent explanation of the Tesco-owned wholesaler’s procedures ...

25 Sep 2020

Police raid abattoirs across Germany accused of smuggling in workers

More than 800 German police officers were involved in a series of simultaneous raids on Wednesday morning, targeting more than 40 slaughterhouses accused of smuggling in migrant workers illegally. Mass coronavirus outbreaks at a number of slaughterhouses in Germany have recent...

25 Sep 2020

Cultured beef firm Mosa Meat secures $55m in funding

Dutch food-tech firm Mosa Meat has secured an investment of $55 million as part of a larger Series B funding round. Mosa Meat, which introduced what it says was the world’s first cultured beef hamburger in 2013, plans to use the funds to extend its pilot production facilit...

22 Sep 2020

Low priced German pork undercutting suppliers in Europe following ASF bans

Low priced pork from Germany is undercutting other suppliers within Europe, following the export bans put in pace as a result of the country’s first African swine fever case. A number of countries, including China, Singapore, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, South Korea, Japan ...

20 Sep 2020

‘Historic moment’: UK beef heads to US for first time in 20 years

The first shipments of British beef is being prepared for the US for the first time in more than 20 years, representing a ‘historic moment’ for UK farmers. Shipments of beef will be heading to the United States for the first time in two decades after three processi...

20 Sep 2020

US market opens up for beef from Northern Ireland

Livestock and Meat Commission for Northern Ireland (LMC) chief executive Ian Stevenson believes the news that two local red meat processors have been certified to export beef to the United States will have very positive implications for the local livestock sector as a whole. H...

13 Sep 2020

China bans German pork imports over African swine fever case

China has joined South Korea in stopping the import of German pork after a case of African swine fever was uncovered in a wild boar. Local producers have lost their biggest export market outside the EU. German farmers on Saturday warned they will be hit hard by a Chinese ban...

13 Sep 2020

UK pork export tariffs to be cut under new UK-Japan trade deal

Tariffs on pork exports will be reduced under a new Free Trade Agreement announced with Japan today. The UK’s first major trade deal as an independent trading nation will increase trade with Japan by an estimated £15.2 billion, the Government said. The UK-Japan Comprehen...

11 Sep 2020

ASF in Germany- what happens now?

Earlier today, Germany announced its first confirmed case of African Swine Fever, found in a wild boar near the Polish border. It remains to be seen whether China will follow its usual approach,and place a total ban on all German pork imports. Germany has previously been hopef...

11 Sep 2020

Vietnam culls over 40,000 pigs to tackle ASF spread

Vietnam has culled 43,150 pigs, equivalent to about 2,157 tons, since early this year to curb the spread of African swine fever, according to a report from Vietnam News Agency which cited the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. The story reported that in the last...

11 Sep 2020

Swine fever found in Germany putting pork exports at risk

BERLIN/HAMBURG (Reuters) – Germany confirmed on Thursday that African swine fever (ASF) had been found in a dead wild boar near its border with Poland, threatening pork exports to China from Europe’s biggest pork producer, which were worth $1.2 billion (921.23 million ...

11 Sep 2020

Germany takes action to prevent further ASF spread

The German authorities have introduced a number of measures to try and prevent any further spread of African Swine Fever, after confirmation of the first case on its soil today. There are reportedly 18 pig farms within a 15km radius of the outbreak and the authorities are see...

11 Sep 2020

China becoming battleground for plant-based meat makers

HONG KONG (AP) — China has become a battleground for plant-based meat companies looking to tap into the world’s largest market for meat-consumption. American plant-based meat company Impossible Foods Inc. said Thursday it is awaiting regulatory approval to enter the China ...

11 Sep 2020

Germany says has suspected case of African swine fever

BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany’s Ministry of Food and Agriculture said on Wednesday it had a suspected case of African swine fever (ASF) in a wild boar in the eastern state of Brandenburg. The suspected case concerned a wild boar carcass found near the German-Polish border...

10 Sep 2020

Poor Brexit planning puts £1.2bn of annual meat exports at risk

The British Meat Processors Association (BMPA) has issued a plea to Government to address key Brexit issues which could see £1.2 billion of annual meat exports at risk along with thousands of jobs. The group warned EU exit contingency plans were proceeding at a ‘snail’s p...

09 Sep 2020

CCTV in abattoirs call by Welsh Conservatives

CCTV cameras must be made compulsory in all slaughterhouses in Wales, mirroring the position in England and Scotland, the Welsh Conservatives suggest. In Wales there is funding through the Food Business Investment Scheme for the installation of cameras in abattoirs but it is a...

09 Sep 2020

UK red meat to be showcased at two Chinese events

Exporters will be flying the flag for UK pork and beef at two major events in China this month – marking the first international showcasing since the pandemic. On Thursday, the 18th China International Meat Industry Exhibition 2020 (CIMIE 2020) will take place at the Qingdao...

09 Sep 2020

Prime beef prices ‘at highest level in years’

Prime beef prices have bounced back and farmers are receiving some of the highest prices witnessed in many years, claims Quality Meat Scotland (QMS). The levy body said prices had recovered from a Covid-19-driven market crash – the all-steer average deadweight price was 335....

08 Sep 2020

One person taken to hospital and six arrested after animal rights protesters climb roof of meat factory

Demonstrators have been staging a protest at the Pilgrim’s Pride Ltd’s slaughterhouse in Ashton-under-Lyne. One person has been taken to hospital and six have been arrested at an animal rights protest outside a meat factory in Ashton-under-Lyne. Demonstrators climbe...

07 Sep 2020

Lamb exports to Switzerland increase by 200 per cent

Meat Promotion Wales (HCC) has shared HMRC figures that show that in the first six months of 2020, UK lamb exports to Switzerland have increased over 200% compared to last year, making it the seventh largest export market. With lamb from Wales accounting for nearly a third of ...

07 Sep 2020

Marel to acquire Treif

Marel is pleased to announce an agreement to acquire German food cutting technology provider TREIF Maschinenbau GmbH (“TREIF”). The two companies have a great strategic and cultural fit with complementary product portfolios and geographic presence, creating a strong platfo...

03 Sep 2020

NZ – Significant Leap In Red Meat Exports To Australia, United States, The UK And Korea

Australia, the US, the UK and Korea were the bright lights for New Zealand’s red meat exports in July, according to an analysis by the Meat Industry Association (MIA). Overall exports to Australia leapt by 58 per cent compared to the same period last year with New Zealand be...

03 Sep 2020

Most Irish meat plant inspections in August unannounced

All but one of the coronavirus-related health and safety inspections carried out at meat plants during the month of August were unannounced, breaking with a practice of prearranging most visits. The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) said there were 26 meat plant inspections ca...

03 Sep 2020

Millers of Speyside Meats suspends factory processing due to local Covid-19 outbreak

Millers of Speyside will temporally close its production site for the next 14 days due to an outbreak of Covid-19 in the local area. Seven cases have been reported in the region and the Food Standards Agency (FSS) and Public Health have stated they would allow the facility to ...

03 Sep 2020

Food safety in Malta’s abattoir hampered by lack of Maltese-speaking staff

Several animal carcasses with faecal contamination were accepted for cutting in a slaughterhouse in which veterinary officials failed to “correct the deficiency”, an audit by the European Commission’s Food Veterinary Directorate on the meat industry revealed. Members of ...

02 Sep 2020

71 jobs set to be lost at meat and poultry manufacturer in Wrexham

More than 70 jobs at a meat and poultry manufacturer in Wrexham are set to be in lost in what a union has today described “as another blow to North Wales economy.” Tyson Foods Wrexham Limited, located on the Llay Industrial Estate, is to close at the end of September accor...

02 Sep 2020

Argentina delays China pork export deal amid environmental protests

BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) – Argentina has delayed until November the signing of a memorandum of understanding with China aimed at increasing investment in Argentine hog output, a government source said on Tuesday, citing environmental protests over the planned export deal. ...

02 Sep 2020

Coronavirus pandemic could aid small abattoirs

The Covid-19 pandemic has brought about a change in the dynamic of the food supply chain which may offer a lifeline to smaller abattoirs. The challenges of running an abattoir and keeping it profitable have been well documented in recent months. Andrew Clarke is the managing d...

02 Sep 2020

Love Lamb Week returns for sixth year

RETURNING for its sixth year, Love Lamb Week will celebrate all that is good about UK produced Lamb next month, with industry support greater than ever. Since its launch in 2015, the National Sheep Association (NSA) has worked alongside others to highlight the week-long campai...

01 Sep 2020

China accepts Argentinean “covid free” guarantee

5 Argentinean processors, that had voluntarily suspended their exports to China, are back in business and trading with China. The 5 slaughterhouses had cases of covid-19 among employees recently, but are now free of the disease. The additional guarantee was recognised official...

01 Sep 2020

Covid-19: Tönnies slaughterhouse can ship again to China

Germany’s largest slaughterhouse in Rheda-Wiedenbrück, owned by Tönnies, has received the thumbs-up to resume exports of pig meat to China. Trade had been suspended due to Covid-19 restrictions. The Tönnies slaughterhouse received permission to do so on August 17. About...

01 Sep 2020

Welsh Tories call for mandatory abattoir CCTV, branding voluntary approach a ‘failure’

The Welsh Conservatives have called for CCTV to become mandatory in abattoirs, branding the Government’s voluntary approach to date a ‘failure’. Janet Finch-Saunders, the party’s Shadow Rural Affairs Minister, demanded the change be made after a Freedom of Information ...

28 Aug 2020

Hoping for trade deal, Taiwan to ease standards for U.S. pork, beef

Taipei, Aug. 28 (CNA) President Tsai Ing-wen announced Friday that Taiwan will set standards for a controversial feed additive in imported pork and ease restrictions on American beef in an apparent attempt to pave the way to broker a trade deal with the United States. Tsai sai...

28 Aug 2020

Australian beef hit with another China trade strike

Australia’s oldest family-owned meat processor has been hit with a new trade suspension by China, days after the Morrison government rejected a $600 million Chinese bid for Lion Dairy and Drinks. China’s customs department suspended exports from John Dee on Wedne...

27 Aug 2020

China to probe labs, farms in crackdown on illegal African swine fever vaccines

(Reuters) – China has begun a strict crackdown on the production and use of illegal African swine fever vaccines, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said on Tuesday, after anecdotal evidence of the widespread use of such products. China is trying to rebuild it...

27 Aug 2020

Brazil asks China for proof chicken wings had coronavirus

SAO PAULO, Aug 26 (Reuters) – Brazil has asked Chinese authorities to provide results of laboratory tests that detected traces of the novel coronavirus on chicken wings exported by the South American country, according to a statement sent to Reuters by Brazil’s Agricul...

27 Aug 2020

Tulip to change it’s name to Pilgrim’s Pride

Tulip Ltd, the UK’s biggest producer and processor of pigs, is to change its name to Pilgrim’s Pride Ltd from Monday, August 31. Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation, a US-based pig and poultry supplier, which, in turn, is owned by Brazilian meat giant JBS, acquired Tulip in Octo...

27 Aug 2020

China invests in huge Argentinean pork project

China is about to embark on a multi-billion dollar project to almost double Argentina’s pork production over the next 4 years. That was shared recently by Argentina’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship. The Latin American country is about to rec...

27 Aug 2020

ASF Poland: Number of farm cases in 2020 rises to 71

Although the summer is not over yet, in Poland African Swine Fever has already infected more farms in 2020 than it did in the whole of 2019. Currently, the count is at 71 infected farms, the majority of them being backyard farms. That can be concluded on the basis of the most ...

26 Aug 2020

China July pork imports hit record 430,000 tonnes

Aug 24 (Reuters) – China’s July pork imports more than doubled to 430,000 tonnes from a year earlier and hit a record monthly volume, customs data showed, despite tough new checks on cargoes that had slowed clearing at ports. Chinese importers have been bringing in hug...

26 Aug 2020

Why is China suspending imports from some meat processors?

(Reuters) – Top meat importer China has suspended imports from some foreign meat packing plants where workers became infected with coronavirus – but not others. WHY IS CHINA SO WARY OF FROZEN FOOD IMPORTS? China is the world’s top meat importer, bringing in huge ...

25 Aug 2020

Cranswick pays staff £500 bonus after healthy financial results

UK pork processor Cranswick has seen a significant uplift in sales due to a boost in home consumption during the Covid-19 lockdown period. The firm, one of the UK’s largest food producers, said trading in the first quarter of the financial year had been ‘strongR...

25 Aug 2020

UK red meat exports increase despite Covid-19

UK red meat exports have enjoyed a good start to the year with shipments already worth £733m in the first six months – up nearly 3% on the same period last year. The strong results come during one of the most challenging years on record for red meat exports due to the ongoi...

25 Aug 2020

Welsh-produced lamb ‘a family affair that must be protected’

Farmers have said Welsh-produced lamb is a ‘family affair that must be protected’ ahead of the annual Love Lamb Week taking place next month. The industry-wide initiative will focus on emphasising the nutritional benefits of UK-produced lamb and its role in sustain...

21 Aug 2020

Demand from China continues to boost EU pork exports

EU fresh/frozen pork exports were up on the year again in June, according to the latest report from AHDB analyst Duncan Wyatt, which shows volumes were 43% higher than in June 2019 at 250,000 tonnes. The continued strength in the EU’s export performance is underpinned by ...

19 Aug 2020

China: Pork prices up 85.7% in July year on year

Average pork prices in China rose from 45.98 yuan (around $6.61) per kg on May 27 to 55.5 yuan per kg on July 29, according to the fixed-point monitoring of markets in 500 counties nationwide by the Bureau of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services of the Ministry of Agricul...

19 Aug 2020

Meat producer Cranswick emerges as a lockdown winner as families eat more pork and chicken

Shares in Cranswick rose yesterday after the meat producer revealed the lockdown had bulked up its sales. The company, which owns farms and supplies pork and chicken to UK grocers, is emerging as one of the business winners from the coronavirus pandemic. It said sales were tur...

19 Aug 2020

Philippines bans poultry products from Australia over bird flu outbreak

MANILA (Reuters) – The Philippines said on Wednesday it has temporarily banned the importation of domestic and wild birds and their products from Australia after the presence of the highly pathogenic H7N7 avian flu virus was detected at an egg farm. Australia, which acco...

19 Aug 2020

Chinese City to Halt Frozen Seafood, Meat Imports on Virus Worry

The Cold Chain Association of China’s southern coastal city of Guangzhou ordered all member companies to suspend imports of frozen meat and seafood from coronavirus-hit areas, the city’s Internet Information Office said on its official Weibo account, without specifying a...

19 Aug 2020

Scottish poultry facility closed with “immediate effect” due to COVID cluster

2 Sisters said the temporary move was “the responsible action to take” in order to prevent further transmission. A food processing plant in Perth and Kinross, Scotland has been closed with “immediate effect” after four members of staff tested positive for COVID-19. Two...

19 Aug 2020

China’s chicken market easily saturated

The rise and fall of Chinese poultry prices over the past year reveals that chicken is still a second-class meat in the Middle Kingdom. Chinese poultry meat prices surged about 35 percent from April to November 2019, according to wholesale price data issued weekly by ChinaR...

19 Aug 2020

Premier Meat Exhibition cancelled due to coronavirus

This year’s Premier Meat Exhibition has been cancelled due to Covid-19 restrictions. The event’s organisers, the Scottish National Fat Stock Club (SNFSC), said allowing the competition to go ahead would add “unnecessary risks” to everyone involved. The event had been d...

19 Aug 2020

‘Factories need farmers more than farmers need factories at present’

Ireland: Those in the sheep sector must surely have felt a cold chill in the veins at Meat Industry Ireland’s (MII) warning that livestock prices could be impacted if results for Covid tests from factories were delayed. The comments were taken to be largely directed at t...

17 Aug 2020

Research suggests red meat shelf-life can be safely extended

A joint scientific study between the British Meat Processors Association and Meat and Livestock Australia has proven that the current recommended 10 shelf life for chilled red meat can be safely extended well beyond the current FSA guidance. The Guardian reported that a...

17 Aug 2020

Sluggish pork trade as poor demand and plant maintenance takes its toll

Trade continued to drag its feet last week, with little impetus from any of the majors, according to Thames Valley Cambac. “The majority of the major processors are on reduced kills due to a combination of poor demand, staff holidays, and major maintenance/infrastructure pro...

17 Aug 2020

Argentina suspends exports from eight meat plants to China after COVID-19 found

BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) – Argentina has suspended exports to China from eight meatpacking plants after cases of the novel coronavirus were found among their employees, Argentina’s food quality and safety body, Senasa, said. China, the main destination for the South Amer...

17 Aug 2020

Meat factories warned against using Covid crisis to cut prices

The meat factories have been warned against using the continuing Covid-19 crisis as cover to slash beef prices. Suggestions by Meat Industry Ireland (MII) that delays in the Covid-19 testing process could impact operations at meat plants and thereby hit cattle and sheep prices...

17 Aug 2020

Cattle Slaughter in Beef Exporter Uruguay to Hit 17-Year Low

(Bloomberg) — Cattle slaughter in Uruguay, a key producer that’s become known for its traceable grass-fed, hormone-free beef, could fall to the lowest in 17 years amid a shrinking herd and a drop in exports. That’s according to Eduardo Urgal, director at Ontilcor SA, the...

17 Aug 2020

Impossible Foods raises $200 million in fresh funding

(Reuters) – Plant-based burger maker Impossible Foods said on Thursday it secured $200 million in funding, less than six months after it raised the largest investment ever for a food tech startup, bringing total funds raised since its founding in 2011 to $1.5 billion. Th...

17 Aug 2020

Brazil’s JBS, world’s top meat-packer, posts better-than-expected results

SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Brazil’s JBS SA on Thursday posted second-quarter net profits nearly twice as high as the average of analysts’ estimates, buoyed by a strong performance in its beef and pork divisions in the United States and at home. Results from the world’s ...

17 Aug 2020

Cranswick first quarter revenue leaps 25% as lockdowns whet appetite for meat

(Reuters) – Meat processor Cranswick Plc said on Monday it expects retail demand to normalise for the rest of the year as more people start dining out, after eating in during lockdowns helped its revenue surge 25% in the first quarter. The company, which owns farms and ...

17 Aug 2020

Philippines bans chicken imports from Brazil on coronavirus scare

MANILA (Reuters) – The Philippines imposed a temporary ban on poultry meat imports from Brazil on Friday after two cities in China found traces of the new coronavirus in cargoes of imported frozen food, including chicken wings from the South American country. Shenzhen ci...

17 Aug 2020

Chinese cities find coronavirus in frozen food imports, WHO downplays infection risk

BEIJING/SHANGHAI/BRASILIA (Reuters) – Two cities in China have found traces of the new coronavirus in cargoes of imported frozen food, local authorities said on Thursday, although the World Health Organization downplayed the risk of the virus entering the food chain. A s...

17 Aug 2020

Turkey Twizzlers set for healthier comeback

Jamie Oliver beware: the Turkey Twizzler is back, in what its makers claim is a new, healthier version. The celebrity chef was instrumental in the Twizzlers’ demise when he called them bad for children’s health during a TV campaign for better school dinners. After ...

17 Aug 2020

Covid-19 decimates UK venison market

Covid-19 has seen the UK venison market decimated, with markets unlikely to recover to previous levels until 2023, the Scottish Venison Association (SVA) has warned. Despite earlier reports that British venison retails sales were up by 11 per cent in 2019, worth £14.4 million...

17 Aug 2020

Irish government wants grass-fed beef to get protected EU status

THE IRISH GOVERNMENT has begun a process to give Irish grass-fed beef and Achill Island Sea Salt a protected status from the European Commission. The Department of Agriculture has today launched the first part of an application process for Irish Grass Fed Beef to become a Prot...

11 Aug 2020

Merthyr Tydfil food plant coronavirus incident declared over

The coronavirus incident at the Kepak meat processing plant in Merthyr Tydfil has been formally declared over. It was announced seven weeks ago that hundreds of staff at the site in the town’s Dowlais Top area, just a couple of miles from the border with Blaenau Gwent, ...

09 Aug 2020

Kildare meat plant suspends work for two weeks after surge in Covid-19 cases

A meat processing plant in Co Kildare is to remain closed for two weeks. O’Brien’s Fine Foods at Timahoe halted production last week after dozens of workers tested positive for coronavirus. It was announced on Friday night that Kildare, along with counties Laois and Offaly...

09 Aug 2020

GB pig prices for week ending August 1, 2020 – prices slip again

AHDB Pork’s weekly pig prices, slaughter data and commentary for Great Britain In the week ending August 1, the GB EU-spec SPP fell again, by half a penny on the week to average 164.68p/kg. The price is still 11.88p above last year’s price for the same week. Estimated slau...

09 Aug 2020

Tulip reopens Bromborough site with recruitment drive and £15m investment

Tulip has announced plans to reopen its Bromborough site from August and has launched a major recruitment drive, creating over 120 job roles in the local area. Production begins in August and is supported with a £15m investment, introducing state-of-the-art food manufacturin...

09 Aug 2020

Production at Brady’s Ham plant shuts down as almost a third test positive for Covid-19

Almost a third of staff working for Brady’s Ham plant in Timahoe, Co Kildare, after an outbreak of Covid-19 infected at least 80 employees, with tests being carried out on dozens more workers, according to a report in the Irish Times. Production has been shut down at the f...

09 Aug 2020

Beyond Meat racks up high COVID-19 operational costs, shares fall 7%

(Reuters) – Beyond Meat Inc’s quarterly results showed on Tuesday that the plant-based burger maker spent more than expected on dealing with the fallout of weak demand from restaurants, sending shares down about 7% after the bell. El Segundo, California-based Beyond Me...

09 Aug 2020

COVID-19 drives down usage of EU beef quotas

The EU has long been an attractive market for major beef exporters around the world. There are various EU beef import quotas available, offering a reduction in in the tariff payable. However, these are only available for a limited volume and for certain products. The tw...

09 Aug 2020

Hide values drop 60-70 per cent in five years

The poor trade for previously sought cattle and sheep hides is having an impact on farmgate returns, with Quality Meat Scotland estimating that cattle hides have dropped in value by 60 per cent and sheep skins by 70 per cent over five years. As co-products of the processing se...

09 Aug 2020

Japan lifts final restrictions on French beef

[PARIS] France said Friday that Japan has agreed to lift the last remaining restrictions on imports of French beef 20 years after they were imposed due to concern over BSE commonly called mad cow disease. From 1996, Japan banned beef imports from Britain over an outbreak of BS...

09 Aug 2020

Coronavirus: Irish beef producers to get €10,000 aid payments

Irish beef producers could receive payouts of up to €10,000 (£9,000) each under a government-led scheme to reduce the impact of Covid-19 on farm incomes. The €50m (£45m) Beef Finishers Payment (BFP) was announced on 5 August by Ireland’s agriculture minister Dara Calle...

09 Aug 2020

Lamb prices buck seasonal averages

This summer has been extraordinary for producers selling early-finishing new season lambs, with prices holding up at a time when they would traditionally slide as volumes build, according to Quality Meat Scotland. Having averaged 5-10% higher than last year through May and Jun...

09 Aug 2020

Danish abattoir closed over COVID-19 cluster

Meat giant Danish Crown has closed a large slaughterhouse in Denmark after nearly 150 employees tested positive for coronavirus. The abattoir in Ringsted, about 50km from the capital Copenhagen, employs nearly 900 people and slaughters tens of thousands of pigs every week. Da...

06 Aug 2020

Abu Dhabi abattoirs slaughter record 33,075 sacrificial animals

Officials said veterinarians were present in the slaughterhouses round-the-clock to monitor the sacrifices before and after the slaughter. More than 33,075 sacrificial animals were slaughtered at Abu Dhabi public abattoirs during Eid Al Adha holiday, according to authorities. ...

06 Aug 2020

Belgian meat plant quarantines 225 staff

One of Belgium’s biggest meat processing plants has sent 225 staff home to quarantine Wednesday after a cluster of coronavirus cases was discovered, the firm and the local mayor said. Abbatoirs and meat-packing plants have become infection hotspots in other countries...

06 Aug 2020

USA Lamb Processing Plant Bankruptcy Caused By Pandemic

The closure of a lamb processing plant in Greeley, Colorado that serves sheep producers in 15 states including South Dakota is expected to impact one fifth of the nation’s lamb industry. American Sheep Industry Association Executive Director Peter Orwick says the closing of ...

06 Aug 2020

Bromborough meat factory to reopen creating 120 jobs

A meat processing factory is to reopen this month, creating 120 jobs. Tulip Ltd closed its Bromborough site in Wirral, Merseyside, in 2019 but said it would now create the vacancies thanks to a £15m investment in “manufacturing technology and equipment”. Tulip is the UK�...

03 Aug 2020

Farmer urges others to inspire consumers with Scotch Lamb PGI

Farmers play an ‘important role’ in encouraging consumers to view Scotch Lamb PGI as a shopping essential and to help promote it as a versatile ingredient. This is according to Fife sheep farmer George Milne, who is a passionate advocate of farm visits and the need...

03 Aug 2020

Japan deal helps put Scotch beef back on world menu

Food processing firm AK Stoddart’s has secured a lucrative contract for its beef from Japan as further proof that Scottish quality meat is back on menus around the world. The deal, worth an estimated £1 million, will help the Ayrshire and West Lothian-based company reach it...

30 Jul 2020

China orders regular coronavirus tests at wholesale markets

BEIJING (Reuters) – China asked local authorities to carry out regular coronavirus tests at wholesale markets, the country’s health authority said on Thursday, part of an all-out effort to control the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic. China’s National Health Commissio...

30 Jul 2020

China needs ‘explosive’ buying to meet U.S. farm import target

BEIJING/CHICAGO (Reuters) – With nearly seven months gone, an ambitious $36.5 billion target for Chinese imports of U.S. farm goods this year may not be quite out of reach, but it’s looking like a big, big stretch. By end-May, imports were running behind 2017 levels &#...

30 Jul 2020

Argentina nears China hog deal it hopes could turbocharge local pork production

BUENOS AIRES/BEIJING (Reuters) – Argentina is nearing an initial agreement with China that could pave for the way for potential investments by the Asian giant in local pork production for export, Argentina’s undersecretary of trade and investment promotion told Reuters...

30 Jul 2020

Germany aims to protect abattoir workers after mass COVID outbreaks

Newly proposed rules to ban slaughterhouses from using contracted or temporary workers. Germany’s slaughterhouses will have to offer contracts to all workers involved in slaughtering, cutting and processing under a new draft law approved by Cabinet ministers Wednesday. Union...

30 Jul 2020

Dawn Meats takes control of UK joint venture with Dunbia

Ireland-based Dawn Meats has taken full control of its UK joint venture with NI meat processor Dunbia, that was jointly established in 2017. Dawn Meats, based in Waterford, has taken control of County Tyrone-based Dunbia’s 12 meat plants across the UK. It follows the ret...

28 Jul 2020

Scotch Beef campaign adverts hailed a success by QMS

A campaign to boost sales of Scotch Beef during lockdown has been hailed a success by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS). The levy body said although sales figures for the period were not yet available, the Make It Scotch Beef campaign had delivered strong results by reaching million...

28 Jul 2020

Hong Kong decision puts NZ beef exports at risk

The NZ Government decision to end the extradition treaty with Hong Kong places at risk the possibility of New Zealand increasing its beef sales to China. And Foreign Minister Winston Peters implied yesterday that New Zealand may yet impose further sanctions on China as a conse...

27 Jul 2020

Revenue from red meat ‘co-products’ influencing farmgate prices

Red meat co-products such as offals, skins and hides can create revenue for the processing sector, but significant disruptions are on the horizon, according to Quality Meat Scotland. These co-products include both edible and inedible offals, skins and hides and some products c...

27 Jul 2020

No new coronavirus cases reported at Llangefni 2 Sisters poultry plant

NO new cases of coronavirus have been reported at a Llangefni poultry plant, a health chief has announced. Dr Chris Williams, Incident Director for the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak response at Public Health Wales, made the announcement on Saturday afternoon. He said: ...

27 Jul 2020

Tesco to show country of origin on bacon after labelling criticism

Tesco has asked its suppliers to denote country of origin on the front of packaging of its Woodside Farms bacon, after being accused of a lack of transparency in its labelling policy. The retailer’s unsmoked back bacon sold under the ‘fake farm’ Woodside brand does not c...

27 Jul 2020

China June pork imports jump 128.4% on year: customs

BEIJING (Reuters) – China imported 400,000 tonnes of pork in June, customs data showed on Thursday, up 128.4% from the same month a year earlier, as a months-long buying spree continued as importers try to help plug a domestic shortage. China’s pork output declined by ...

27 Jul 2020

‘Spread out? Where?’ Smithfield says not all plant workers can be socially distanced

CHICAGO (Reuters) – Smithfield Foods, the world’s biggest pork processor, said workers cannot be socially distant in all areas of its plants, in response to U.S. senators who pressed meatpackers on coronavirus outbreaks in slaughterhouses. Meatpackers are under mountin...

27 Jul 2020

Processing woes continue – TVC

Processing woes continued last week, with continuing reliability issues blighting some of the majors, according to Thames Valley Cambac. “The narrative from most of the majors was poor retail demand, limited export opportunities, and staff absenteeism. This translated to a s...

25 Jul 2020

Prime cattle prices slip slightly

During the week ending 18 July the GB all prime average slipped a penny, to £3.60/kg. Despite falling in the most recent week, the measure remains 34p up on the year and 11p higher than the five-year average. The declines were almost universal across the different cate...

25 Jul 2020

Beef trade drops due to pressure from COVID-19

Exports UK fresh and frozen beef exports fell 1,100 tonnes year-on-year during May, to 8,900 tonnes, according to the latest HMRC data. Small declines were recorded in shipments to most markets. During May much of Europe was still under strict COVID-19 control measures, which ...

23 Jul 2020

China’s NHC issues coronavirus control guidelines on meat processing firms

BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s National Health Commission on Thursday issued coronavirus control guidelines for meat processing companies, including demanding imported livestock and poultry products must be virus-free before processing in Chinese plants. The guidelines co...

23 Jul 2020

Brazilian pork exports up by almost 40%

Brazilian fresh/frozen pork exports were nearly 40% higher in the firt half of 2020 comparted to the same period last year, according to AHDB analyst Bethan Wilkins. Of the 421,000 tonnes exported, the majority of the increase came from a significant 144% rise in shipments...

23 Jul 2020

China to buy more US pork to fulfill phase one trade deal

US frozen pork inventories dropped in June, as exports to China surged. An analyst said that China is implementing the phase one trade deal, buying $32 billion worth of US agricultural products over two years despite a global shrinkage of trade caused by COVID-19. US frozen po...

22 Jul 2020

UK Agricultural Bill opens way to small abattoir support

THE UK Government has committed to future financial support for abattoirs, which campaigners hope will stem the decline in local slaughter provision. Last week, the UK Agricultural Bill made its way into the House of Lords where it was confirmed that abattoirs and slaughtering...

22 Jul 2020

Burger King wins dismissal of vegans’ lawsuit over Impossible Whopper

(Reuters) – A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit accusing Burger King of deceiving vegan, vegetarian and other customers into thinking it cooked the plant-based patties for its “Impossible Whopper” on different grills than those used to cook beef and chicken. In a...

22 Jul 2020

German abattoir ramping up output after virus outbreak

HAMBURG, July 21 (Reuters) – The German abattoir hit by a coronavirus outbreak is increasing output but still working below capacity, it said on Tuesday. The Toennies plant in Rheda-Wiedenbrueck reopened its slaughterhouse and meat packing operations on Thursday and Frid...

21 Jul 2020

German chemical giant BASF to invest in pig farming in China

German chemical giant BASF announced Monday it will invest in Chinese start-up SmartAHC, a supplier of digitalization solutions for hog farming. It is BASF’s first investment in an agricultural start-up in China. According to BASF, the Shanghai-based startup SmartAHC pro...

21 Jul 2020

‘A victory for common sense’ – Small abattoirs to benefit from public funding

Farm groups have welcomed the news that small abattoirs are to benefit from public funding under the terms of the Agriculture Bill. As the legislation passed through the House of Lords, Ministers confirmed slaughtering would be recognised as one of the ‘ancillary services’...

21 Jul 2020

KFC creating 3D-printed ‘meat of the future’

KFC is taking the next step in its innovative concept of creating a “restaurant of the future” by launching the development of innovative 3D bioprinting technology to create chicken meat in cooperation with the 3D Bioprinting Solutions research laboratory. The idea...

21 Jul 2020

Australian Lamb Company closes as COVID-19 cases confirmed

VICTORIAN sheep meat processor, the Australian Lamb Company, has been forced to close for at least two weeks as COVID-19 testing confirms eight coronavirus cases among employees. And Warrnambool-based meat processor Midfield Meat International has also closed its processing pl...

21 Jul 2020

Pork Prices in China heading upwards as supplies tighten

Pork prices are rising in China just as new Covid-19 measures threaten to disrupt the flow of imports from some key suppliers. Wholesale prices have risen for six consecutive weeks and now stand at their highest levels since early April. Figures from the Commerce Ministry show...

21 Jul 2020

Rare air: U.S. meatpackers try air cleaning tech after COVID-19 outbreaks

CHICAGO (Reuters) – Two of the world’s largest meatpackers said on Friday they have installed ultraviolet air cleaning equipment in some U.S. plants, as pressure mounts on food companies to protect workers amid growing concerns about airborne transmission of the corona...

21 Jul 2020

France Fines Ham & Cold Meats Producers Over Cartel Activities

The Autorité de la concurrence issued a decision in which it fines a cartel involving 12 companies operating in the ham and cold meats sector. Cold meat manufacturers were coordinating with each other with a view to showing a united front at their negotiations with slaughterh...

21 Jul 2020

German abattoir scandal puts cooling systems under COVID spotlight

BERLIN (Reuters) – A COVID-19 outbreak in Germany is forcing meatpacking plants to review infection risks posed by their cooling systems, placing the industry at the sharp end of growing global concerns over airborne transmission of the coronavirus. Toennies, a slaughter...

21 Jul 2020

Chinese ports hit capacity as virus tests slow clearing: shippers

BEIJING (Reuters) – Testing of imported food for the novel coronavirus is pushing capacity at some major Chinese ports to their limit, major shippers told customers this week, warning of additional fees and possible diversions to other ports. China stepped up inspections...

21 Jul 2020

Germany’s largest meat site closure has ‘knock-on effect’ in UK

Concerns are rising for the UK pig sector following the month-long temporary closure of a major German meat site after it experienced a coronavirus outbreak. Tönnies meat plant factory, in North Rhine-Westphalia, processes 140,000 pigs per week, 15 percent of all pigs slaught...

16 Jul 2020

Argentina suspends exports from eight meat plants to China after COVID-19 found

BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) – Argentina has suspended exports to China from eight meatpacking plants after cases of the novel coronavirus were found among their employees, Argentina’s food quality and safety body, Senasa, said on Wednesday. China, the main destination for t...

16 Jul 2020

GB pig prices for week ending July 11, 2020 – SPP declines

AHDB Pork’s weekly pig prices, slaughter data and commentary for Great Britain The EU-spec SPP averaged 165.36p/kg in the week ended July. 11, a slight fall of 0.14p compared to the previous week and the first time prices have dropped for six weeks. Compared with the same we...

16 Jul 2020

Part of German abattoir hit by coronavirus can resume slaughtering

HAMBURG (Reuters) – Part of a huge German abattoir and meatpacking complex at the centre of a coronavirus outbreak can reopen, German authorities said on Wednesday. The Toennies slaughterhouse and meat packing complex in Rheda-Wiedenbrueck in western Germany has been clo...

16 Jul 2020

Rabobank: Global poultry outlook to improve in H2 2020

Global poultry sector to recover in next half of year but problems still exist in Europe according to Rabobank analysts. Demand for poultry will be more bullish globally in the second half of the year as the Covid-19 containment measures on the restaurant and hospitality secto...

16 Jul 2020

Driven by China, Brazil’s 2020 pork, chicken exports to grow despite pandemic

by Ana Mano SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Brazilian meat companies are poised to increase production and exports this year as sales to China continue to exceed expectations and the COVID-19 pandemic has failed to deter local food processors, according to ABPA, a lobby group repr...

16 Jul 2020

EU Commission forecasts strong pork export growth in 2020

By Felicity Rusk The EU Commission has recently published the summer edition of its short-term outlook for agricultural markets. This is an outlook for the EU-27 and so excludes the UK. The Commission believes that EU pig meat production will show slight growth in 2020, in ...

15 Jul 2020

Yorkshire poultry firm’s multi-million pound expansion nears completion

A multi-million pound expansion project at an East Yorkshire poultry business is nearing completion. The final phase of a £3.3m investment to increase capacity at Soanes Poultry in Middleton on the Wolds is underway. The work is set to increase capacity by 20 per cent, as wel...

15 Jul 2020

Burger King debuting reduced-methane beef

Formula for cattle diet includes lemongrass supplement, but cattle industry calls study “small and poorly conceived.” In what it says is an effort to address a core industry challenge — the environmental impact of beef — Burger King is debuting a reduced-methan...

15 Jul 2020

UK farmers fear threat of Australian meat imports

Negotiations continue on an Australia-UK free trade agreement, but battle lines are being drawn on the sensitive issue of agriculture. UK primary producers say they want Australian farmers, particularly beef and lamb exporters, to meet the same standards they do, before they s...

14 Jul 2020

German meatpacker under fire for requesting government support after COVID-19 outbreak

BERLIN (Reuters) – The German meat processing company whose plant was at the centre of a COVID-19 outbreak that forced the authorities to reimpose a local lockdown came under fire from politicians on Sunday for requesting government support to cover quarantined workers�...

14 Jul 2020

Germany extends fencing along Polish border to keep out swine fever

HAMBURG (Reuters) – Fencing along the German-Polish border is being extended in stepped-up efforts to prevent African swine fever being spread to Germany by wild boars, German authorities said on Monday. The 62-km (38-mile) fence adds to some 240 km of barriers put up al...

14 Jul 2020

UPDATE 2-China H1 meat imports up 73.5% – customs

BEIJING, July 14 (Reuters) – China imported 4.75 million tonnes of meat including offal in the first six months of the year, customs data showed on Tuesday, up 73.5% on the same period a year ago. Chinese buyers boosted overseas meat purchases after a collapse in domesti...

14 Jul 2020

Family-owned meat processor expands

John Scott Meat has purchased the shareholding of neighbouring company A.P. Jess at Sandyford Abattoir (Paisley) and the assets and goodwill of A.P. Jess Paisley. It means Sandyford Abattoir and Sandyford Hides and Skins in Paisley are now fully owned and controlled by brother...

14 Jul 2020

Lamb prices rising due to ‘substantial demand’

Lamb prices are continuing to rise, driven by substantial demand for the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha, according to the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA). Sean Dennehy, the association’s national sheep chairperson, said that, with the Muslim festival set to begin on July ...

13 Jul 2020

House of Lords to debate small abattoir survival

FINANCIAL support for small abattoirs is to be raised in the House of Lords by a new amendment tabled for the UK Agricultural Bill. Amendment number 87, tabled by Lord Trees, Baroness Ann Mallalieu, Baroness Jones of Whitchurch and Baroness Bakewell of Hardington Mandeville, s...

13 Jul 2020

Small abattoirs failed by lack of joined-up thinking from Government

Small abattoirs are being failed by a lack of joined-up thinking from different Government bodies, Emily Miles, chief executive of the Food Standards Agency (FSA), has said. Ms Miles, who has been working with small abattoir owners to address the problems they face, said she h...

12 Jul 2020

German abattoir in coronavirus outbreak stops sub-contracting workers

HAMBURG (Reuters) – A German abattoir and meat packing group at the centre of a coronavirus outbreak said on Friday it would hire 1,000 workers and stop using sub-contractors for animal slaughtering and meat processing. The Toennies slaughterhouse and meat packing plant at R...

11 Jul 2020

German pig prices fall after abattoir closes due to coronavirus

HAMBURG (Reuters) – German pig prices have fallen sharply as a huge German abattoir remains closed after a coronavirus outbreak, forcing farmers to sell animals ready to be slaughtered at low prices, an association said on Friday. The Toennies slaughterhouse and meat pac...

09 Jul 2020

The run up to Eid-al-Adha

By Rebecca Wright There is currently some additional demand for lamb due to the Islamic festival of Eid-al-Adha. In 2020 the festival will be held on approximately 30 July, and run until 3 August, although the exact dates are based upon sightings of the moon at the time. Eid-a...

08 Jul 2020

China to Sell More Pork From Reserves to Stem a Rally in Prices

(Bloomberg) — China will sell more frozen pork from state reserves as it seeks to contain rallying prices after the top consumer of the meat halted imports from dozens of overseas producers. The Asian nation will sell 20,000 tons of pork on Friday, according to a stateme...

08 Jul 2020

German abattoir hit by coronavirus still closed pending hygiene plan

HAMBURG (Reuters) – A huge German slaughterhouse and meat packing plant at the centre of a coronavirus outbreak cannot reopen until authorities are satisfied with its hygiene procedures, the chief executive of the Guetersloh district said on Tuesday. Some 600,000 people ...

08 Jul 2020

TV chef John Torode supporting British lamb campaign

Celebrity chef John Torode has thrown his weight behind a new promotional campaign for lamb just as the latest market outlook predicts retail demand for the meat will fall by between 9-19% this year. Lockdown saw retail volumes for lamb decline by 7.5% and now levy body AHDB h...

08 Jul 2020

High UK pork price could be here to stay for the rest of 2020 – AHDB outlook

The high domestic pig prices seen during the first half of 2020 could be sustained for the rest of the year, according to the latest AHDB quarterly Pork Outlook report. This optimistic conclusion is underpinned by tight supply, good retail demand and anticipated further expor...

08 Jul 2020

Mounting beef export concerns over US COVID relapse

THE second-wave COVID-19 crisis unfolding in the United States is creating renewed concerns among manufacturing beef exporters in Australia. As of yesterday, the US recorded just over 60,000 new COVID cases, a record for a 24-hour period, as the second wave of infections unfol...

08 Jul 2020

German court orders end to coronavirus lockdown around meat plant

A German court has ended a local lockdown imposed to tackle a coronavirus outbreak at a slaughterhouse, ruling that the restrictions were disproportionate. The top administrative court in North Rhine-Westphalia state ruled that the lockdown slapped on all of Gütersloh distric...

07 Jul 2020

China trade tension to hit Australian beef and wool exports

Australian beef exports into China are set to face increasing competition, while wool producers are being urged to minimise their reliance on Chinese demand, as trade tensions with Beijing continue to shape Australia’s agriculture industry. The trade warning, which was ext...

07 Jul 2020

New Campaign Urges Consumers to ‘Make It’ with Lamb

The first phase of a GB-wide campaign encouraging consumers to ‘Make it’ with lamb has launched this month. Delivered by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS), Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) and Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales (HCC), it includes video ...

07 Jul 2020

European market in turmoil, as COVID-19 continues to disrupt meat plants

A combination of plant closures and a Chinese ban on Dutch pork imports due to COVID-19 has sent European pork markets into turmoil, according to Thames Valley Cambac. Pigs are being backlogged due to the plant closures caused by coronavirus outbreaks among staff in some Euro...

07 Jul 2020

2 Sisters to reopen Anglesey abattoir hit by Covid outbreak – with 30 extra safety measures in place

2 Sisters will today reopen its Anglesey abattoir which was closed for two weeks following a Covid outbreak. The chicken processing plant had its first positive case at the end of May and the virus spread through the workforce – forcing its closure just over a fortnight ...

06 Jul 2020

2 Sisters Food Group Reopens Poultry Processing Facility In Wales

2 Sisters Food Group has announced that it has resumed operations its poultry processing factory in Llangefni. The company suspended operations temporarily in the facility around the middle of June following an outbreak of COVID-19. During this period, it worked closely wi...

06 Jul 2020

China halts imports from two more Brazil meat plants amid COVID-19 concerns

SAO PAULO/BRASILIA (Reuters) – China has suspended imports from two Brazilian pork plants owned by meatpackers JBS SA (JBSS3.SA) and BRF SA (BRFS3.SA), according to the Chinese customs authority, as it cracks down on meat shipments amid concerns about the new coronavirus...

06 Jul 2020

JBS plant in Brazil allowed to reopen again after COVID-19 outbreak

SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Brazilian meatpacker JBS SA has been allowed to reopen its chicken plant in the southern town of Passo Fundo after an outbreak of the novel coronavirus among its employees, the company told Reuters on Friday. “JBS confirms the resumption of activi...

06 Jul 2020

17 Million Consumers Informed About Health Benefits of Beef, Lamb and Pork by Levy Bodies’ Campaign

The second year of a campaign by the British levy bodies has succeeded in reaching 17 million people, helping to bring a more balanced perspective to public discussion around the health properties of red meat. The collective initiative funded by the Agriculture and Horticultur...

03 Jul 2020

German pig farmers suffer after abattoir’s closure

HAMBURG (Reuters) – German pig farming is being disrupted by the closure of one of the country’s largest slaughterhouses after a coronavirus outbreak, an industry association said on Friday. Some 600,000 people in Guetersloh in the western German state of North Rhine-W...

03 Jul 2020

Claims about COVID-19 in meat plants and worker exploitation are ‘false and misleading’ – BMPA

The British Meat Processors Association (BMPA) has described union claims that cases of COVID-19 in UK abattoirs are linked to migrant worker exploitation as ‘false and misleading’. Responding to some high-profile cases of COVID-19 in meat plants, the Unite Union said the ...

03 Jul 2020

Red meat health campaign reaches 17m people

A campaign which aims counter misinformation in the media on the role of red meat in the diet has reached 17 million people. The initiative aims to bring a ‘more balanced perspective’ to public discussion around the health properties of red meat. It sets out eviden...

01 Jul 2020

Irish Beef launches in the Philippines

Organic Irish beef, supplied by Good Herdsmen, is now being sold by Healthy Options, the Philippines largest organic health foods retailer. The striploin, ribeye and T-bone cuts are being marketed as hormone-free, raised on family farms, with farm to table traceability. Health...

30 Jun 2020

China suspends bulk of Dutch pork imports after COVID-19 outbreaks

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – China has halted almost all imports of pork from the Netherlands, apparently motivated by COVID-19 outbreaks at some of the largest Dutch slaughterhouses. China banned meat delivered by four of the largest Dutch abattoirs as of Sunday, Dutch governm...

30 Jun 2020

Germany extends lockdown in district hit by COVID-19 in abattoir

BERLIN (Reuters) – The western German state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) said on Monday that as a precaution it would extend by one week a lockdown in one of two districts affected by an outbreak of the coronavirus at a slaughterhouse. NRW premier Armin Laschet said r...

30 Jun 2020

Some U.S. food suppliers forego China contracts over coronavirus curbs, trade group says

CHICAGO (Reuters) – Chinese demands that overseas suppliers guarantee their food shipments are free of the novel coronavirus are causing some shippers to forego the China trade, an industry group representing U.S. produce growers said on Friday. Western Growers, which re...

30 Jun 2020

Brazil says China bans three meatpacking plants amid COVID-19 pandemic

SAO PAULO (Reuters) – China’s General Administration of Customs has temporarily banned the import of meat from three plants in Brazil amid concern over the novel coronavirus, according to the agriculture ministry on Monday. The ministry declined to name the companies a...

30 Jun 2020

Germany pushes for animal welfare levy after abattoir scandal

BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany is making progress towards introducing an animal welfare levy, Agriculture Minister Julia Kloeckner said after talks on Friday on cleaning up the meat trade, which is in the spotlight following an outbreak of the coronavirus at an abattoir. The...

30 Jun 2020

China Halts Meat Imports From More Plants Amid Virus Confusion

(Bloomberg) — China suspended meat imports from more plants as the Asian nation continues to sow confusion in global agriculture markets by suggesting a potential link between the spread of coronavirus and food. Customs authorities suspended imports from plants in countr...

26 Jun 2020

Museum of London Smithfield move gets green light

£337m redevelopment wins approval – as plan to relocate historic Smithfield to Dagenham is put forward. PLANS to redevelop part of Smithfield market into a museum were given the green light on Monday. The £337million scheme will see the Museum of London transfer from the B...

26 Jun 2020

2 Sisters reveal details of £1m welfare fund to support staff at Covid hit Anglesey abattoir

2 Sisters Food Group have announced the details of £1m welfare fund for workers at their Covid hit abattoir on Anglesey. The chicken factory in Llangefni was shut for two weeks last Thursday as the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases at the plant mounted. So far nearly 300 wo...

26 Jun 2020

Air cooling system in German abattoir helped spread coronavirus among hundreds of workers

The air cooling system used in a German slaughterhouse helped spread the coronavirus among hundreds of workers, a hygiene expert said on Wednesday, a day after the mass outbreak triggered renewed lockdowns in the area. More than 1,500 out of 7,000 employees have tested positiv...

24 Jun 2020

Australia beef exports to China cut as trade tensions escalate

Australia has lowered its forecast for beef exports to China by 1.5 per cent for the 2020/21 season due to ongoing trade tensions between the two countries. China is expected to buy 227,000 tonnes of beef in the year to June 2021, 30 per cent less than in the year earlier peri...

24 Jun 2020

Brazil meat exporters sign declarations requested by Chinese authorities

SAO PAULO, June 23 (Reuters) – Brazilian meat processors JBS SA, BRF, Minerva and Manfrig have signed declarations at the request of Chinese authorities, saying their exports are free of the novel coronavirus, according to company sources and a statement. BRF, the world�...

24 Jun 2020

Truckloads of lambs arriving from the UK: ‘It’s a disgrace’- ICSA

“Imports of lambs are causing huge disruption for local farmers who can’t even get quotes for such animals. At the same time they see truckloads of lambs arriving on UK-registered lorries. It’s a disgrace.” This strongly-worded message was from the Sheep Committee cha...

23 Jun 2020

Pork plants continuing to cope with COVID-19 but supplies tight

As pork plants in Europe suffer significant disruption, major UK pork processors are continuing to cope with COVID-19 staffing issues, although supplies remain tight, according to Thames Valley Cambac. In its latest market report, TVC said: “Supply yet again remained tight...

23 Jun 2020

US meat industry puzzled by China’s import ban for one plant

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – China’s decision to ban imports from a single Tyson Foods poultry plant where there was a coronavirus outbreak has raised concerns about the implications on the U.S. meat industry if the action is expanded to other plants. Chinese customs officia...

23 Jun 2020

Eight-award haul for Aubrey Allen

The Warwick Street shop scooped an eight-strong awards windfall, including a brace of top-ranked 3*** accolades, one of which also shortlisted as a Kitchen-Ready category finalist for a ‘best of the best’ Diamond Award. The category finalist was Slow Cooked Ox Cheeks and S...

23 Jun 2020

Brazil beef exporter & British pork plant suspend shipments to China over virus

(Reuters) – China, the world’s top meat importer, said on Tuesday a Brazilian beef exporter and a pork plant in Britain had voluntarily suspended exports because of coronavirus infections. Many meat exporting nations, such as Brazil and the United States, have seen tho...

23 Jun 2020

Tönnies abattoir COVID-19 cases pass 1,000 mark

FRANKFURT (Reuters) – More than 1,000 employees at German meat processing firm Toennies have tested positive for coronavirus, prompting local health authorities to order all 6,500 employees and their families to go into quarantine. The localised lockdown is a setback for...

23 Jun 2020

Beef and lamb exports plunge during Covid-19 crisis

Data from HMRC reveals exports of fresh and frozen UK sheep meat totalled just over 6,100 tonnes that month – down 2,300 tonnes on April 2019. Beef exports totalled 8,500 tonnes – down 1,500 tonnes on the same month in 2019. However total exports between January and April ...

23 Jun 2020

Goodman organic beef hits supermarket shelves in the Philippines

Irish beef is to be sold to retail in the Philippines for the first time this week. The beef, which is organic is being supplied by Good Herdsmen, ABP’s Organic Division, is now being sold by Healthy Options the country’s largest organic health foods retailer, which ha...

22 Jun 2020

New ‘bounce back’ plan aims to boost UK agri-food exports

The government has announced a package of measures to boost British food and farming businesses looking to export following the Covid-19 crisis. The ‘bounce back’ package aims to ‘turbo charge’ UK food and drink exporters as dozens of countries begin to...

22 Jun 2020

Australian beef exports threatened as Chinese buyers look to US

Xiamen, China | A major Chinese commodities trader has warned it will be forced to abandon Australian beef in favour of US suppliers if Beijing does not lift bans on four of the country’s biggest abattoirs in the next six months. Xiamen Xiangyu Group, a state-owned Chin...

22 Jun 2020

Coronavirus: Butchers’ shops see red meat sales soar

Independent butchers have seen a spike in trade during the coronavirus lockdown, with sales of some red meat up by almost 50%. Figures released by market analyst Kantar Worldpanel show a UK-wide increase in red meat sales for the 12 weeks to 17 May 2020. But the rise in sales ...

22 Jun 2020

China Halts Tyson Poultry Imports From Arkansas Plant After Virus Outbreak

On Sunday, China’s customs officials disclosed they had halted shipments of chicken products from a US meat processing facility owned by Tyson Inc. that had been infected by the highly-contagious novel coronavirus. The General Customs Administration stated it had decid...

22 Jun 2020

German pig farmers enjoying boom in Chinese exports

German pig farmers are thriving thanks to a surge in demand from China after exporting half a million tonnes of pork to the country last year. China has suffered a 10 percent reduction in domestic production of pork in the aftermath of the African swine fever epidemic in 2018 ...

22 Jun 2020

Local lockdown considered for Anglesey as coronavirus infections at 2 Sisters chicken plant double

Public Health Wales said the number of people linked to the Llangefni 2 Sisters plant diagnosed with the virus had grown to 158 and the number of infections was expected to keep growing. The Welsh Government is considering a local lockdown on Anglesey to prevent a coronavirus ...

19 Jun 2020

‘Nearly one million pigs killed’ as African swine fever worsens in Nigeria

An outbreak of African swine fever in Nigeria is reportedly “decimating” livestock as farmers cull hundreds of thousands of pigs in efforts to stop the disease. The outbreak began earlier this year in the state of Lagos – the region around the country’s most p...

19 Jun 2020

Industry warns UK meat sector could ‘lose’ EU orders within 12 weeks

The UK meat sector will start losing EU customers from September unless Government clarifies key technical issues on trade arrangements, the British Meat Processors Association (BMPA) has warned. It has urged Government to clarify within the next few weeks what export health c...

19 Jun 2020

Coronavirus outbreak confirmed at Yorkshire meat factory that supplies Asda

An outbreak of Covid-19 has been confirmed at a meat packing factory owned by Asda. Mobile testing tents have been set up outside Kober Ltd near Cleckheaton, which supplies the supermarket giant with bacon rashers and joints. Asda bought the business outright through its Norma...

19 Jun 2020

China suspends pork imports from German plant after coronavirus cases

BEIJING, June 18 (Reuters) – China has suspended pork imports from a plant owned by German meat producer Toennies, a customs document showed on Thursday, a day after the company reported a coronavirus outbreak among workers at the site. Toennies said on Wednesday it had ...

18 Jun 2020

Six legged superfoods – the future of meat?

With the ethics and environmental costs of red meat production under increasing scrutiny, raising insects for food could play a significant role in the future, believes Lincolnshire farmer Adam Banks. And he is now rearing the house cricket (Acheta domesticus) to produce a pro...

18 Jun 2020

China’s meat importers fret about delays as port runs virus tests

BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s meat importers fear clearing delays and a hit to demand after one of the country’s major ports began requiring coronavirus tests for all meat and seafood containers to prevent contamination. Tianjin on the northern coast, the primary port ...

18 Jun 2020

Time is running out for Britian’s meat sector, warns BMPA

In 2021, the way in which the UK trades with the EU is going to change significantly, but Government is yet to secure a plan. Here, the BMPA outlines its concerns and what is needed. A significant of number of people believe the UK currently ‘exports’ goods to Europe, but ...

18 Jun 2020

Aussie beef urges UK to think beyond quotas

The Australian red meat industry has welcomed the launch of the Australia-United Kingdom Free Trade Agreement negotiations, under unique circumstances. Australian Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, Simon Birmingham, and UK Secretary of State for International Trade, L...

18 Jun 2020

UK announces the launch of free trade agreement negotiations with Australia and New Zealand

Yesterday (17 June) the UK Government announced the launch of free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations between the United Kingdom and both Australia and New Zealand. A UK-Australia FTA will be ambitious and comprehensive. It will be a modern agreement with best-practice trade...

17 Jun 2020

Australian lamb exports redefined to compete with New Zealand

Australian lamb exports are being redefined to help farmers compete with New Zealand. Agriculture Minister David Littleproud has introduced an amendment to export laws to change the definition so animals under 12 months of age with two permanent incisor teeth are considered la...

17 Jun 2020

China’s meat importers worry about delays as key port runs COVID-19 tests

BEIJING, June 17 (Reuters) – China’s meat importers fear clearing delays and a hit to demand after one of the country’s major ports started requiring COVID-19 tests for all meat and seafood containers to prevent contamination from the coronavirus that causes the dise...

11 Jun 2020

How COVID-19 and African swine fever are shaping the global pork market

The Chinese market has provided the UK pork sector with a ‘soft landing’ amid the global disruption to trade caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. But with a complex mix of COVID-19, African swine fever (ASF) and political tensions currently shaping the outlook for the global p...

11 Jun 2020

Booming Business: Pigs Flying to China in 747 Jumbo Jets

The coronavirus has wreaked havoc on commercial aviation, but Alexey Isaykin’s cargo carrier has been fully loaded. Volga-Dnepr Group has flown more than 3,000 breeding pigs to China from France this year. The animals — transported 6,450 miles in wooden crates in the hold ...

11 Jun 2020

JBS approved to reopen Brazil beef plant after hundreds test positive for COVID-19

SAO PAULO (Reuters) – JBS, the world’s largest meatpacker, received permission from a court in Brazil’s remote state of Rondônia to reopen a beef plant even after 266 employees there tested positive for the COVID-19 respiratory disease, according to a statement from...

11 Jun 2020

UK food standards petition nears 1 million signatures

A petition urging UK politicians to ensure any food imports meet British standards has garnered the support of almost one million people. Just 10 days ago the petition had been signed by 50,000 people but at the time of publication, the figure had rocketed to more than 906,00...

10 Jun 2020

EU farm groups call for temporary arrangements to protect trade as Brexit talks stall

EU farm and food chain groups have called for temporary arrangements to be put in place to protect trade with the UK in the event that a free trade deal cannot be agreed by the end of the year. Copa and Cogeca, Celcaa and FoodDrinkEurope have warned the lack of progress during...

10 Jun 2020

Local abattoirs need ’emergency’ fund

AN EMERGENCY fund must be created to protect local abattoirs – and the family farms that depend upon them – from being destroyed in the rush to ever larger economies of scale. That was the conclusion of a report published this week by Westminster’s All-Party Parliame...

09 Jun 2020

CME update: cattle futures stabilise amid further fall in beef prices

US live cattle futures stabilised on 8 June, reversing last week’s falls. Reuters reports that US beef prices continue to weaken. The market is expected to remain under pressure as beef production continues to recover from COVID-19-related disruptions in April and May. Meat...

09 Jun 2020

‘No basis’ for cattle price pressure amid stronger beef markets

There is no basis for pressure on cattle prices from the factories, according to the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA). Commenting on the matter, IFA National Livestock Committee chairman Brendan Golden said: “Prices are rising strongly in our main export market in the UK a...

09 Jun 2020

Online bidding proves popular with livestock buyers

A move to introduce an online bidding system for livestock in response to the coronavirus pandemic has been hailed a success by ANM Group. The north-east farmers’ co-operative, which operates livestock marts at Thainstone near Inverurie and Quoybrae in Caithness, launched an...

09 Jun 2020

Pig prices move forward on the back of tight supply and ‘keen’ demand

Pig prices moved forward last week, with one major adding 3p to its weekly quote, followed by similar rises in other significant outlets, according to Thames Valley Cambac. In its latest market update, TVC said the trigger for the long-awaited rise seemed to be the continuing...

09 Jun 2020

Hungarian pork processors hit hard by swine fewer

Rising live pork prices due to the swine fewer have hurt Hungarian meat processors. MCS Vagohid, one of the country’s largest slaughterhouse reported a HUF5bn loss in 2019 and HUF10bn since it began operations in Mohacs (southern Hungary) three years ago, local media rep...

09 Jun 2020

Call for ‘UK Strategy for Abattoirs’ to stem tide of small slaughterhouse closures

A Parliamentary group has called on the Government to develop a ‘UK Strategy for Abattoirs’ in order to stem the tide of small slaughterhouse closures. There were 30,000 registered abattoirs in the 1930s, down to just under 250 today, of which 62 are classed as small. The ...

09 Jun 2020

Government urged to support UK’s dwindling small abattoirs

A new report has highlighted the negative impact of small abattoir closures on the rural economy and the need for greater government support. The report comes as figures show that a third of small abattoirs have closed in the last ten years alone – with only 62 now left ...

09 Jun 2020

Rabobank tips slowing beef demand

AS parts of the world cautiously ease out of lockdown and reassess COVID-19’s impact on the beef sector, Rabobank’s latest global Beef Quarterly has revised down its global beef production outlook and forecasts slowing beef demand in a declining economy. However, t...

09 Jun 2020

Opportunities in Asia for UK red meat exports

DEMAND FOR red meat in Asia has soared due to the ongoing African Swine Fever outbreak and could offer opportunities for UK meat exporters. This message was heard by almost 200 delegates who took part in an AHDB export webinar, where they were told that despite the impact coro...

08 Jun 2020

Taiwan set to export pork again after 23 years hiatus

TAIPEI (The China Post/ANN) — Members of the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) will vote on Monday to determine whether Taiwan can regain its status as a Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) free country without vaccination. Once the change of status is approved, Taiwan mig...

08 Jun 2020

Meat upheaval in US lets Argentina back in the beef game

After America’s meat-processing woes opened up a window for importers, Argentina shipped 1,290 metric tons to the United States in April. America’s meat-processing woes opened a window for importers and Argentina pounced. Beef shipments to the United States from Argentina�...

08 Jun 2020

QMS Launches New Sustainable Red Meat Action Groups

Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) has launched a series of new “Sustainable Red Meat Action Groups” aimed at livestock farmers who are keen to understand the relationship between carbon, meat production and profit. Pasture-based livestock production will be at the core of these ...

08 Jun 2020

Court orders JBS pork plant in Brazil shut for 14 days amid coronavirus fears

SAO PAULO (Reuters) – A Brazilian judge has suspended activities at a pork plant owned by meat packer JBS SA in the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul for 14 days, according to a copy of the decision seen Friday night. As part of the decision, employees in hi...

08 Jun 2020

Germany tightens abattoir rules after coronavirus…

Germany has tightened up rules on abattoirs, banning the subcontracting of meatpacking work through agencies after a rash of coronavirus outbreaks, government sources said. The cases has caused outrage in the home countries of the sector’s predominately foreign workers. The ...

05 Jun 2020

Lamb prices follow seasonal trend

By Rebecca Wright This week lamb prices have followed the expected seasonal trend. During the week ending 3 June, the GB liveweight NSL SQQ slipped almost 8p week-on-week, to 238.38p/kg. Prices are still currently above year earlier levels. Daily prices throughout the week wer...

05 Jun 2020

Another strong week of gains for cattle prices

By Rebecca Wright Across the board GB deadweight cattle prices have continued on an upwards trend. During the week ending 30 May, the all-prime average measure increased 7.5p week-on-week, to £3.45/kg. For the first time in quite a while prices are within touching distance of...

05 Jun 2020

GB finished pig prices record marginal decline

By Felicity Rusk In the week ending 30 May, the EU-spec SPP paused its upward movement. Although the fall was relatively minor, at 0.06p, this is the first decline since early April. The price averaged 164.45p/kg, almost 18p above the same week last year. However, this time ...

05 Jun 2020

Could we cope if key pig abattoirs close?

Background: Loss of US slaughter capacity The US pig industry has hit the headlines recently. Significant outbreaks of COVID-19 amongst abattoir staff led a number of key pork processors to close, some for weeks at a time. At one point, the processing industry had reportedly l...

05 Jun 2020

Impossible Foods starting direct-to-consumer plant burger sales

(Reuters) – Impossible Foods said on Thursday it will sell plant-based meat burgers in the United States directly to consumers through its own website, as demand for vegan alternatives surge amid rising beef prices due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The move is a part of Impo...

05 Jun 2020

Yum China to bring Beyond Meat’s plant-based burgers to China

(Reuters) – Yum China Holdings Inc said on Monday it will introduce Beyond Meat Inc’s plant-based burgers at its fast-food restaurants in mainland China starting June 3. Beyond Burgers will be introduced as a limited-time offering at select KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Be...

05 Jun 2020

BMPA calls for butchers to be added to Shortage Occupation List

The British meat processing industry is calling on the Government to help keep production lines operating by adding butchers to the Shortage Occupation List. The Government’s Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) is currently consulting on which occupations should be added to t...

04 Jun 2020

Trade Credit Insurance backed by £10 billion guarantee

Government to provide guarantees of up to £10 billion to Trade Credit Insurance schemes for business-to-business transactions. Trade Credit Insurance, which provides essential cover to hundreds of thousands of business-to-business transactions, will receive up to £10 billion...

02 Jun 2020

COVID-19 likely to affect beef industry into 2021

Pay attention to cattle price upswings; it may be time to avoid more losses and sell. Cattle processing challenges continue to limit the amount of beef available to consumers. While daily slaughter levels have consistently improved, they have yet to approach levels that would ...

02 Jun 2020

Namibia’s beef exports to international markets not affected by COVID-19

WINDHOEK, June 1 (Xinhua) — Namibia’s beef exports to international markets have not been affected by the global COVID-19 pandemic, a major beef export company said Monday. According to Mwilima Mushokobanji, CEO of the Namibia state-owned meat processing firm Meatc...

02 Jun 2020

Spanish pig meat exports still well up

Spain is the second largest pig meat exporter in Europe, and in the first quarter of 2020, volumes were up 14% (+79,000 tonnes) on a year earlier. This was partly a reflection of higher production, which over the same period was up 4%, or 56,000 tonnes, compared with January-M...

02 Jun 2020

The plant-based meat wars are hitting the courts

A European court just blocked Nestlé from naming its burger brand “Incredible.” Bad news for anyone who uses Thesaurus.com to come up with brand names: Citing trademark concerns, a European court just blocked Nestlé from naming its plant-based burger line the “Incred...

02 Jun 2020

Big changes for Louth Livestock Market’s auction days

Louth Livestock Market’s weekly market day have been moved from Thursday mornings to Monday afternoons. The decision comes after ‘considerable thought’ from the directors of the market, which is operated by Masons in Louth, as they feel it will better fit into the schedu...

02 Jun 2020

Leap in spring lamb numbers

SPRING lambs continue to spring forward in much greater numbers at Skipton Auction Mart, the 1,498 forward this Monday by far the largest turnout of the season to date. They sold to an overall average of £97.43 per head, or 236.8p/kg The welcome return of vendor prizes at the...

02 Jun 2020

Dairy goat producers weather COVID-19 storm

It is no secret that dairy cow markets have been impacted by COVID-19. The situation also has negatively affected the dairy goat world, but in a different way. While the pandemic may not have caused an immediate disruption for dairy goat producers like it did for dairy farmers...

02 Jun 2020

UK food standards group Red Tractor to bring in new chicken welfare labels

Red Tractor Assurance, a UK food standards organisation has introduced a new range of labels for chicken which will indicate how it has been produced. It said the Enhanced Welfare labels will allow farmers to sell their products through the Red Tractor accreditation, whichever...

02 Jun 2020

LIVESTOCK-Lean hog futures end lower on U.S.-China trade worries

CHICAGO, June 1 (Reuters) – Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) lean hog futures fell Monday on worries that deteriorating relations between the United States and China, the world’s biggest pork importer, could inhibit U.S. pork sales to the Asian nation, traders said. C...

02 Jun 2020

Kolkata: Chicken, mutton rates hit all-time high on supply crunch

KOLKATA: Prices of chicken and mutton — the two principal sources of protein for non-vegetarians – have hit all-time highs in the aftermath of Cyclone Amphan. Chicken rate, that has been on a roller-coaster ride since the lockdown began, touched Rs 250 on Monday and mu...

02 Jun 2020

While Beef Prices Rise at Stores, Cattle Prices Drop – Why?

USDA officials and federal prosecutors are probing the wide gap between what consumers pay for beef at the grocery store (the highest in decades) and the painfully low prices that livestock producers are paid for their cattle. By the numbers: The average retail price for fresh...

02 Jun 2020

Irish Beef Finishers Hit Hard by COVID-19 & Brexit Losses of €111M

Irish Farmer’s Association National Livestock Chairman Brendan Golden said Agriculture Minister Creed must secure a direct payment package to make up for the beef price losses for winter finishers on the back of the COVID-19 outbreak and Brexit inflicted market disturban...

02 Jun 2020

New Zealand export meat prices fall back from recent highs

Export prices for meat, including lamb and beef, fell in the March 2020 quarter, from record levels at the end of 2019, New Zealand’s statistics department Stats NZ said on Tuesday, Trend reports citing Xinhua. “The fall in export prices coincided with the COVID-...

02 Jun 2020

Antibiotic use remains unchanged in UK pig industry – AHDB

According to data collected using the electronic medicine book (eMB), antibiotic use in 2019 held at 110 mg/PCU. The data represent 95 percent of pigs slaughtered in the UK and equals usage in 2018, having fallen 60 percent in the three years prior. Significantly, the use of h...

02 Jun 2020

Coronavirus-related disruptions in the beef supply chain have spurred changes. Will they last?

Eight Greeley JBS employees have died from COVID-19 and at least 300 have tested positive for the virus. Beef, poultry and pork processing plants nationwide have had outbreaks during the pandemic, due in part to the fact that employees work close to each other for several ho...

02 Jun 2020

67 piglets stolen from farm in Hampshire

67 piglets have been stolen from a farm in Fordingbridge in Hampshire. The six-week-old piglets were stolen from a farm in Damerham between May 20 and May 28. They each have the reference HB0789 tattooed on them. Hampshire Police officers from the Countrywatch team are investi...

28 May 2020

Mass testing to resume at Cork meat plant

MASS Covid-19 testing of workers at the Kepak meat processing plant in Watergrasshill will get underway again tomorrow. Hundreds of workers at the 650-employee plant will be tested by HSE staff. Those being tested were already tested over two weeks ago but were negative. Howev...

28 May 2020

Police close Apeldoorn abattoir for breaking Covid-19 rules

An abattoir owned by meat processing giant Vion in Apeldoorn was closed down by police on Wednesday because workers had been brought to the location crammed into 18 small buses, news website Nu.nl said. Although abattoir owners had agreed not to do this, it is still happening ...

28 May 2020

Export of Irish beef to China temporarily suspended due to case of ‘Atypical BSE’

The Department of Agriculture has confirmed that the export of Irish beef to China has been suspended temporarily as a result of a case of “Atypical BSE”. The decision was made after a 14-year-old-cow tested positive. The cow was tested as part of the department...

27 May 2020

More than 14,000 pigs culled as India’s African swine fever dated back to January

African swine fever has been present in north east India at least since January, according to global animal health body, OIE. The Asian media is now reporting that 14,000 pigs have been culled in one of the two infected states, Assam, alone, with claims the virus might have re...

27 May 2020

Scotland’s pork industry ‘robust’ despite Covid-19 crisis

Strong consumer demand and collaboration has seen the Scottish pork industry succeed when other markets like the US and Ireland have slowed. This is according to Aberdeenshire pig producer Philip Sleigh, who has said Scotland’s pork industry remains robust despite Covid-19 c...

27 May 2020

Steak promotions helping to balance carcase as sales up 20 per cent on last year

Efforts to promote steaks from all parts of the supply chain have begun to bear fruit, with sales up 20 per cent year on year. In March, the British Meat Processors Association (BMPA) had warned of a possible cattle price drop as demand for high value cuts plummeted due to t...

27 May 2020

‘Strict measures’ prevent coronavirus outbreaks in Belgian abattoirs

So far, Belgium has not had to close slaughterhouses due to a coronavirus outbreak among staff members, mainly because the rules are much stricter than in the neighbouring countries, according to the sector. In neighbouring countries, several slaughterhouses have been closed d...

27 May 2020

Small meat processors backlogged as virus idles big U.S. plants

CHICAGO/WINNIPEG, Manitoba (Reuters) – Inside the small-scale Iowa abattoir Stanhope Locker and Market, owner Shaunna Zanker yawns with exhaustion as she listens to yet another farmer asking her to slaughter his pigs. “I’m so sorry, but we’re booked through March o...

27 May 2020

North China port sees surge in imports of frozen meat

TIANJIN, May 26 (Xinhua) — Tianjin Port in north China handled imports of 611,000 tonnes of frozen meat from January to April, representing a surge of 75.3 percent year on year, according to Tianjin Customs on Tuesday. Tianjin is a major port of entry for meat heading to...

26 May 2020

NZ beef export receipts expected to pass $4b this season

New Zealand beef export receipts are expected to pass the $4 billion mark this season for the first time. Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s mid-season update for 2019-20 forecast beef, lamb and mutton farmgate prices to maintain their high levels, by long-term historical standar...

26 May 2020

‘Something isn’t right’: U.S. probes soaring beef prices

Supermarket customers are paying more for beef than they have in decades during the coronavirus pandemic. But at the same time, the companies that process the meat for sale are paying farmers and ranchers staggeringly low prices for cattle. Now, the Agriculture Department and ...

26 May 2020

Brazil Toughens Rules to Avoid U.S.-Style Disruptions

Brazil, the biggest exporter of beef and chicken, is betting on a new set of safety standards to avoid the kind of mass processing disruptions that caused meat shortages and price spikes in America. The South American farming giant plans to introduce new national guidelines th...

25 May 2020

China’s pork imports in April jump 170% to record high

BEIJING (Reuters) – China, the world’s top pork consumer, imported a record 400,000 tonnes in April, up nearly 170% from a year earlier, customs data showed, as buyers took advantage of low prices to stock up on meat. China imported 1.35 million tonnes of pork in the f...

24 May 2020

Germany shuts another abattoir after workers get coronavirus

HAMBURG (Reuters) – German authorities said they closed another abattoir after an outbreak of coronavirus among its workers. The plant, in Dissen in north Germany, had already been on reduced operations slaughtering pigs after a previous discovery of coronavirus there, t...

22 May 2020

British ASF vaccine said to protect 100% of pigs

UK scientists have got a step closer to developing a vital vaccine for African Swine Fever (ASF). In a recent trial, 100% of pigs immunised with the new vaccine survived a lethal dose of ASF virus. The research, carried out by scientists from The Pirbright Institute i...

21 May 2020

Three members of staff die from COVID-19 at Cranswick sliced meat plant

Three members of staff have died as a result of COVID-19 at Cranswick’s sliced meat factory at Wombwell, in Barnsley, the pork processor has confirmed. In total, nine employees tested positive for the virus at the site, which employs around 1,200 people, three of which sad...

21 May 2020

German Abattoir Restarting Work After Coronavirus Shutdown

HAMBURG, May 20 (Reuters) – German abattoir and meat processor Westfleisch said on Wednesday it is resuming production at its plant in Coesfeld which was closed earlier in May after an outbreak of coronavirus. Labour Minister Hubertus Heil also said on Wednesday that Ger...

21 May 2020

Dutch meat processing plant closed as 45 workers test positive for Covid-19

There are strong indications that coronavirus will lead to more slaughterhouse and meat factory closures in the Netherlands, FNV spokesman John Klijn has told the AD, following news of a second outbreak at a Vion plant in the south. The Groenlo plant, which processes organic p...

21 May 2020

‘Wall of US meat’ early next year will impact Australia’s cattle and meat fortunes, webinar told

A ‘wall of meat’ is building in the United States in coming months, which will inevitably impact pricing for Australian cattle and beef early next year, warns independent meat and livestock analyst Simon Quilty. The problem stems from the enormous back-log of cattle that h...

20 May 2020

African Swine Fever takes its toll on North Korean pig farms

African Swine Fever (ASF) has caused mass deaths of pigs at farms in South Hwanghae Province and North Hamgyong Province, leading the central government to take action to prevent further outbreaks, Daily NK has learned. “Livestock disease[s] are spreading rapidly throughou...

20 May 2020

Downward trend for China’s pork prices obvious: executive

With more non-agricultural enterprises from internet giants to property developers eagerly moving into the pig farming industry, pork oversupply might occur in the next two years and the downward trend for pork prices is clear in China, a senior executive said Monday. However,...

20 May 2020

Dawn Meats to restart burger production as McDonald’s re-opens

Dawn Meats is to re-start is burger production in Waterford ahead of the re-opening of some McDonald’s fast food outlets today in Ireland and European McDonald’s in Europe to reopen from Monday. Dawn Meats supplies McDonald’s restaurants with beef burgers fro...

20 May 2020

Workers Cheered Upon Return to South Dakota Pork Plant

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — Employees at a Smithfield pork processing plant in South Dakota where a coronavirus outbreak infected more than 800 people were greeted at work May 20 with thank you signs, cheers and waves from about a dozen area residents. “They’re putting their hea...

20 May 2020

Germany tightens abattoir rules after coronavirus outbreaks

BERLIN, May 20 (Reuters) – Germany has tightened up rules on abattoirs, banning the subcontracting of meatpacking work through agencies after a rash of coronavirus outbreaks, government sources said. The cases has caused outrage in the home countries of the sector’s pr...

19 May 2020

Germany to ban subcontracting in meatpacking industry after virus outbreaks

BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany will order meatpacking plants to stop using subcontractors and to improve hygiene standards in the workplace and accommodations, after more than 600 cases of coronavirus among workers in the industry, a draft government proposal said. Labour Mi...

19 May 2020

Government drops plans to slash post-Brexit tariffs on agricultural goods

The Government has dropped plans to slash tariffs on imports of pork products and other agricultural products from the start of next year, following strong industry lobbying. The move has been welcomed by industry bodies, including the NPA and the UK farming unions, which hav...

19 May 2020

Living conditions of migrant workers at meat plants ‘should be considered before criticism’

CONCERNS HAVE BEEN raised about criticism of migrant workers at meat plants who are not able to adhere to social distancing guidance at home due to their sometimes cramped living arrangements. There have been 15 clusters of infection and almost 700 cases of Covid-19 in meat ...

19 May 2020

Silver Fern Farms increases Red Meat Supply to U.S.

NEW YORK — Silver Fern Farms, New Zealand’s largest red meat producer and exporter, announced that it is increasing supply availability to help meet the needs of U.S. consumers and customers. The company currently exports grass-fed beef, lamb and venison to the U.S. ann...

19 May 2020

Alarm as another German abattoir hit by coronavirus outbreak

Germany has uncovered another cluster of coronavirus infections at a slaughterhouse, fuelling alarm about working conditions in the country’s meat packing plants. A total of 92 employees at the Westfleisch abattoir in Lower Saxony state have tested positive, local authoritie...

19 May 2020

France hit by new Covid-19 outbreaks in two abattoirs

Around a hundred people are believed to have been infected by the coronavirus in newly discovered outbreaks in two French abattoirs. One abattoir is in the central Val de Loire region near the city of Orléans. The other is in the northwestern region of Brittany. Regional heal...

19 May 2020

Australian beef exporters banned by China are repeat offenders, but New Zealand firms escape sanctions, customs data shows

China banned four Australian meat processing plants last week, while also imposing a 80 per cent tariff on imports of Australian barley The move raised suspicions that China was using technical requirements to punish Canberra for its call for an international inquiry over the ...

18 May 2020

NZ tries to offset the closed China market by increasing exports to other markets

By Rebecca Wright During the first quarter of 2020 New Zealand beef exports grew, while sheep meat exports declined. In total, sheep meat exports dropped 6,500 tonnes on-the-year, to 134,900 tonnes, according to Statistics New Zealand. The entire decline was driven by a drop ...

18 May 2020

China says Australia minister should use appropriate channel to contact China counterpart

BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s foreign ministry said on Monday that Australian Trade Minister Simon Birmingham should use the appropriate channels if he wishes to speak with his Chinese counterpart. Birmingham said during a television interview with Australian Broadcastin...

18 May 2020

Germany to ban subcontracting in meatpacking industry after virus outbreaks

14 May 2020

Australia says China silent on trade talk request, maintains call for coronavirus inquiry

SYDNEY (Reuters) – China has not responded to a request for urgent talks after Australia’s key agriculture exports were hit with suspensions and tariff threats, said Australia’s trade minister, as ties strain over Canberra’s call for a coronavirus pandemic inquiry....

14 May 2020

China Cracks Down on Meat Smuggling (Again)

Chinese customs authorities have been announcing seizures of smuggled meat products. This crackdown began in 2019 and seems to reflect a surge in smuggling prompted by a spike in Chinese meat prices last year that increased the trade’s profitability. The inspection burea...

14 May 2020

More Mexican beef headed to U.S. dinner tables as American supply crunch bites

MEXICO CITY/CHICAGO (Reuters) – More Mexican steaks and other beef cuts are headed north of the border after the coronavirus outbreak has hobbled U.S. meat processing plants, potentially offsetting fears of shortages affecting businesses from fast-food chains to grocery ...

14 May 2020

Australia requests China trade talks, won’t drop inquiry push

SYDNEY, May 13 (Reuters) – Australia’s trade minister is seeking urgent talks with his Chinese counterpart after key agriculture exports were hit with suspensions and tariff threats, but said Australia will continue to push for an inquiry into the coronavirus outbreak....

13 May 2020

Russian food stamps to help push poultry consumption

Russian meat and poultry producers have asked the government to allocate Rub800 billion ($ 11 billion) for a food stamps programme. The idea is to support demand for the remainder of 2020 for multiple products, including poultry meat and eggs to mitigate the effects of the c...

13 May 2020

Calls for poultry factory closure after worker dies from Covid-19

Calls have been made for a poultry processing factory in Northern Ireland to be temporarily closed down after a 58 year old female worker died from Covid-19. Workers union Unite says urgent action is needed by local government Ministers after Luciana Viviana da Silva died from...

12 May 2020

China’s restrictions on Australian beef, barley seen as retaliation for support of coronavirus investigation

Within the space of two days, China announced new tariffs of up to 80 per cent on Australian barley imports and banned beef imports from four firms Some analysts believe the moves would create space for China to import more barley and beef from the US to fulfil requirements of...

12 May 2020

China suspends Australian beef imports from four abattoirs

China has suspended imports from four large red meat abattoirs, fuelling concern of a campaign by Beijing against Australian producers in response to Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s push for an independent coronavirus inquiry. The meat export freeze follows China’...

11 May 2020

As U.S. meat workers fall sick and supplies dwindle, exports to China soar

CHICAGO (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump ordered meat processing plants to stay open to protect the nation’s food supply even as workers got sick and died. Yet the plants have increasingly been exporting to China while U.S. consumers face shortages, a Reuters an...

11 May 2020

Karro owners acquire Irish quality pork company

Yorkshire-based Eight Fifty Food Group, the owner of Karro and Young’s, has acquired Irish pork company, M&M Walshe, for an undisclosed fee. M&M Walshe, which trades as RibWorld, Callan Bacon and Stirchley Bacon, is a processor and multi-channel supplier of gammon, b...

11 May 2020

U.S. next week to start purchasing $3 billion worth of farm goods: Trump

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Donald Trump on Saturday said the United States will next week begin purchasing $3 billion worth of dairy, meat and produce from farmers as unemployment soars and people are forced to food lines. “Starting early next week, at my order, ...

11 May 2020

Coronavirus outbreak closes German meat-packing plant

Days after Germany readied to ease coronavirus restrictions, three districts saw outbreaks that will delay reopening. After COVID-19 infections at slaughterhouses, two states will test all meat-processing workers. Following a COVID-19 outbreak at a meat processing plant in the...

07 May 2020

Coronavirus: Meat shortages hit fast food restaurants amid US lockdown

Outbreaks have forced meat-packing plants to temporarily close or slow production, as they try to ensure worker safety. One of the most popular fast food companies in the US has reported beef shortages as slaughterhouses across the country are shut during the coronavirus lockd...

07 May 2020

New funding announced for dairy farmers

Chair of the House of Commons EFRA Select Committee, Neil Parish MP, has welcomed new measures announced by DEFRA to support dairy farmers through the coronavirus crisis. DEFRA’s support for the industry, announced last night, entitles producers to claim up to £10,000 ...

07 May 2020

China Makes Biggest U.S. Pork Order of 2020 as Virus Hits Plants

(Bloomberg) — China is ramping up imports of U.S. pork, going against the trend as America’s meat exports have slowed overall with sick employees limiting production at meatpacking plants. The world’s top pork consumer booked 40,200 metric tons of American meat last ...

06 May 2020

US pork production capacity halved due to COVID-19 – Tyson boss

Approximately half of US pork processing capacity has been shut down during the COVID-19 outbreak, according to the president of US meat giant Tyson Foods. Industry representatives have warned that millions of pigs cannot enter supply and called for a co-ordinated euthanasia p...

06 May 2020

Eat steak not mince to keep the beef industry afloat, NFU president says

British people should eat steak, not mince, in order to help farmers, the head of the National Farmers’ Union has said, as she writes to Boris Johnson asking for a “buy British” button on online grocery shops. Beef farmers are struggling while restaurants are...

05 May 2020

US ‘must conform’ to UK food standards as trade talks commence

Farmers have reiterated the need to protect British food and farming standards as trade talks between the UK and US are set to get underway. The first round of delayed video-conference negotiations will involve 200 officials today (5 May), and is expected to last two weeks wit...

01 May 2020

Dawn Meats still to decide on next week’s plan after 4 staff contract Covid-19

Four employees at the Dawn Meats plant in Kilbeggan have tested positive for the Covid-19 coronavirus, the firm has confirmed. As a result, production at the plant has been deferred. “No decision has yet been taken with regards to deferring any scheduled activity next week,�...

01 May 2020

Birmingham abattoir ordered to pay over £11,000 for hygiene offences

Birmingham Halal Abattoir Limited has admitted responsibility for hygiene offences and been ordered to pay more than £11,000. The business pleaded guilty to multiple instances of failing to prevent potential cross-contamination between carcases before their post-mortem inspec...

01 May 2020

Dawn Meats in Westmeath closes after workers test positive for Covid-19

Dawn Meats has temporarily closed one of its plants following an outbreak of Covid-19. Four cases of the disease have been confirmed at the meat processor’s facility in Kilbeggan in Co Westmeath. In a statement, the food company said when it became aware of four confirme...

30 Apr 2020

GB prime cattle prices continue to move down

In the week ending 25 April, the GB deadweight all prime average fell by 1.7p to average 322.1 p/kg. While the price still recorded a drop on the week, it was considerably smaller than those seen in the previous two weeks. Weekly prime price movements were as follows: Overall ...

30 Apr 2020

Tyson Foods temporarily pauses operations at beef facility in Dakota City

(Reuters) – Tyson Foods Inc is halting operations at a beef facility in Dakota City, Nebraska until May 4 to complete a deep cleaning of the plant amid the coronavirus outbreak, a unit of the largest U.S. meat supplier said on Wednesday. The unit, Tyson Fresh Meats, also...

30 Apr 2020

JBS reopens U.S. pork plant to put down pigs, dispose of carcasses, not produce meat

CHICAGO, April 29 (Reuters) – Meat producer JBS said on Wednesday it was reopening a Minnesota pork plant shuttered by the pandemic to euthanize up to 13,000 pigs a day for farmers, not to produce meat for consumers. U.S. farmers have been forced to cull livestock as the...

30 Apr 2020

£1.2m national campaign to aid beef carcase balance

A major £1.2 million national consumer campaign encouraging consumers to “Make It” with beef is being launched by AHDB, Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) and Hybu Cig Cymru (HCC). Running for 12 weeks with TV, video on demand, radio and social media, it aims to inspire consumer...

29 Apr 2020

COVID-19 crisis: China warns Australian beef could suffer

China says Australian beef sales could be further negatively impacted if the Morrison government persists with its demands for an inquiry into the COVID-19 pandemic. The warning comes from China’s ambassador to Australia, Jingye Cheng, who said the consumption of other a...

29 Apr 2020

U.S. pork supplies tightened before coronavirus shut slaughterhouses

CHICAGO (Reuters) – U.S. supplies of frozen pork fell in March before the coronavirus pandemic forced meat processors to close slaughterhouses, the U.S. Agriculture Department said on Wednesday, setting the stage for inventories to tighten further. Processors have closed...

29 Apr 2020

Trump to order meat processing plants to remain open

Order uses the Defense Production Act to classify meat processing as critical infrastructure to try to prevent a shortage of chicken, pork and other meat President Donald Trump took executive action Tuesday to order meat processing plants to stay open amid concerns over growin...

28 Apr 2020

ASF Poland: Lockdown for 450 pig farms

450 pig farms in the province of Greater Poland have been placed into lockdown due to the occurence of ASF in the west of the country. All farms are located around the finisher farm where African Swine Fever (ASF) was recently found. There are 61 pig farms in a 3 km radius i...

27 Apr 2020

Philippines issues temporary ban on imported poultry from US

The Philippine Department of Agriculture (DA) has issued a temporary ban on the import of domestic and wild birds and their products from the US following an avian virus outbreak in South Carolina. Hanoi (VNA) – The Philippine Department of Agriculture (DA) has issued...

27 Apr 2020

M&S launches campaign to support UK farmers

M&S is supporting its network of 10,000 UK farmers through the launch of a new campaign. Lasting six weeks, the TV, social and in-store package aims to highlight the efforts of British farmers and growers in keeping shops supplied with meat, farmed fish, poultry, dairy pro...

27 Apr 2020

Coronavirus: UK beef market concerns ‘intensify’

The British beef sector remains under continued pressure from the near-complete closure of the foodservice industry, according to the latest market analysis. The ceasing of trade to hotels, restaurants and pubs produced a destabilising effect on the market prices for both lamb...

27 Apr 2020

UK pork markets remains relatively ‘unscathed’ from COVID-19, but EU prices falling

The market continued to function ‘relatively unscathed’ from the COVID-19 lockdown rules last week, according to Thames Valley Cambac. The main taking point for some processors were rumblings over of lack of exports leading to full cold stores, while others were concerned ...

27 Apr 2020

JBS shuts U.S. pork plant, Cargill idles Canadian beef plant on coronavirus

CHICAGO/OTTAWA (Reuters) – JBS USA said on Monday it would indefinitely shut a hog slaughterhouse that produces about 5% of U.S. pork, while Cargill Ltd said it was temporarily idling a Canadian beef-processing plant in the latest disruptions to the North American food s...

25 Apr 2020

Irish cattle prices and throughputs fall

Cattle prices have come under pressure in the UK, first for cows, and then more recently prime animals. The situation in Ireland is the same too, although price declines there have been even more marked. Ireland is a large net exporter of beef and so is vulnerable to weaker de...

25 Apr 2020

EU to open private storage aid scheme for beef and lamb

On 22 April the European Commission proposed that Private Storage Aid (PSA) could be made available some agri-food products, including beef and sheep meat. The period of storage would be between three and five months. Under the scheme, product would temporarily be withdrawn ...

25 Apr 2020

The beef sector hits out at retailers as it feels the affects of pub and restaurant closures

The NFU has accused some of the country’s biggest retailers of “failing to honour their commitment to sourcing British beef” and branded it “inexcusable”. As Thursday’s St George’s Day marked the start of Great British Beef Week, the farming organisation said the...

23 Apr 2020

China’s pork prices retreat as pig production recovers

China’s pork prices has kept retreating over the past weeks as hog production gradually picks up and starts to reverse the upward trend. According to monitoring by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, China’s hog production and sales have basically recove...

21 Apr 2020

Varied demand among the majors, but little change in the pork market

Demand among the major processors was varied last week, although there was little change in the market, according to Thames Valley Cambac. Some of the majors were keen, while others were quiet, the differences partly driven by trade and partly by staffing availability during t...

21 Apr 2020

Mike Sheldon reappointed as chair of AHDB Pork

Mike Sheldon has been reappointed by UK Ministers for a second term as chair of AHDB’s pork sector board. Mr Sheldon, who was first appointed to the role in April 2017, will now continue in it, alongside sitting on the main AHDB Board, for another two years, ending April 9...

21 Apr 2020

Canada sees no beef shortage, but prices may rise due to coronavirus

OTTAWA/WINNIPEG, Manitoba (Reuters) – The Canadian government is not expecting a beef shortage despite the spread of the novel coronavirus in certain meat-packing plants, though prices may rise, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Tuesday. Trudeau also told a briefing ...

21 Apr 2020

China detects African swine fever in another pig truck

BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s agriculture ministry said on Tuesday it had detected the deadly African swine fever virus in pigs transported to the southwestern province of Sichuan, the latest in a dozen such cases in the last two months. China has been battling African s...

21 Apr 2020

Japan’s sheep meat import prices remain high despite coronavirus

TOKYO — Japan’s import prices for sheep meat remain stuck at high levels, even as prices for many other types of meat coming from abroad are falling due to a slump in the food-service industry’s sales amid the novel coronavirus outbreak. Sheep meat import pri...

21 Apr 2020

Eleven arrests after dead sheep found at illegal abattoirs

Eleven men have been arrested after police discovered two illegal abattoirs operating across two English counties. Police found a number of sheep carcasses at a house in Scunthorpe which were believed to have been stolen from farmland before being slaughtered and butchered. Th...

20 Apr 2020

Coronavirus threatens to trigger new round of global food crisis: China official

BEIJING/SHANGHAI (Reuters) – The global coronavirus pandemic threatens to cause a huge shock to international food trade and trigger a new food crisis, a top agriculture official in China said on Monday. The comments came as coronavirus outbreaks roiled global agricultur...

20 Apr 2020

JBS shuts major U.S. pork plant due to coronavirus, tightening meat supply

CHICAGO (Reuters) – JBS USA said on Monday it would indefinitely shut a Minnesota hog slaughterhouse that produces about 5% of the country’s pork, in the latest disruption to the U.S. food supply chain from the coronavirus pandemic. The closure limits the amount of mea...

18 Apr 2020

US pig industry facing $5bn COVID-19 ‘financial disaster’

US pig producers are facing a financial disaster and collective losses of $5 billion for the remainder of the year as pig prices plummet due to the the impact of COVID-19, the National Pork Producers Council has warned. At a press briefing, NPPC president Howard ‘AV’ Roth,...

18 Apr 2020

Covid-19 restrictions hit red meat supply chain

Coronavirus restrictions could lead to a backlog of animals on farms waiting to be processed at abattoirs, warns Quality Meat Scotland (QMS). The levy body’s director of economics services, Stuart Ashworth, said the Covid-19 lockdown was causing considerable issues in the re...

18 Apr 2020

Meat suppliers being targeted by card fraud

A NUMBER of North Yorkshire meat suppliers have been targeted by credit card fraudsters. A spokesman for North Yorkshire Police said they have received reports of meat suppliers and farm shops in the county taking large quantity orders over the phone which are then paid for us...

17 Apr 2020

Seven arrested as investigation into suspected illegal abattoir is launched

Police are urging people to report suspicious sales of meat following the discovery of a suspected illegal abattoir in Arleston, Telford. The discovery was made at around 9.15pm last night (Thursday 16 April) when officers responded to reports of a collision with a dog on Elmw...

15 Apr 2020

Silver Fern Farms profits jump on back of strong Chinese demand

Meat processor Silver Fern Farms Limited has reported an after tax profit of almost $71 million for the 2019 financial year, it’s strongest annual result in more than a decade. Silver Fern Farms Co-operative, which owns half of SFF Ltd, reported an after tax profit of $3...

14 Apr 2020

Coronavirus: NFU urges retailers to promote cuts of meat in-store

Retailers and processors have a ‘moral responsibility’ to support British farmers by promoting cuts of meat in stores as many face disruption due to Covid-19. Promoting steaks and roasting joints, which are now in high supply due to the complete loss of the food se...

14 Apr 2020

China’s pig industry will rise like a phoenix

China was hit hard by the African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreaks in 2018 and 2019. Most estimates indicate a pig industry size reduction of more than 50%. What does that mean for the years to come? China will come back for sure, but how quickly, and what will the impact be? Richa...

14 Apr 2020

US beef prices drop as foodservice demand dwindles

The majority of US State governments have ordered the closure of restaurants, hotels and other foodservice outlets to reduce the spread of the coronavirus. With the addition of school closures, demand from foodservice has dissipated as consumption switches to in-home. Accordin...

14 Apr 2020

EU pig prices falling

The EU average pig reference price* has now fallen for three consecutive weeks. The price in the latest week, ended 29 March, was €186.35/100kg, over €9 lower than mid-March. At this level, prices are still nearly €37 higher than the same period in 2019 and similar to ...

14 Apr 2020

Soaring demand for mince piles pressure on beef prices

A surge in demand for mince from retailers in Ireland and Britain is adding to the downward pressure on cattle and lamb prices. At the height of the coronavirus panic buying last month, there was a 45pc increase in the amount of beef mince sold by UK retailers. Over 60pc of al...

13 Apr 2020

Hong Kong pig appeal as prices bite

Pork sellers want a rule that live pigs cannot be kept in Hong Kong for more than a day relaxed, saying the recent drop in mainland supply has led to a surge in prices. Jackie Ling Wai-yip, chairman of a fresh meat union, said there were only 1,300 pigs from the mainland price...

13 Apr 2020

China’s beef imports to drop as hotpot comes off the boil

BEIJING, (Reuters) – Just over two months ago, the Jinyuan Fucheng Beef Hotpot restaurant in northern Beijing had a long line of customers waiting outside its doors almost every night of the week. Now, the restaurant that can seat 800 barely fills 20 tables a day, with m...

13 Apr 2020

Smithfield shutting U.S. pork plant indefinitely, warns of meat shortages during pandemic

CHICAGO (Reuters) – Smithfield Foods, the world’s biggest pork processor, said on Sunday it will shut a U.S. plant indefinitely due to a rash of coronavirus cases among employees and warned the country was moving “perilously close to the edge” in supplies for groce...

10 Apr 2020

China reclassifies dogs as pets, not livestock, in post-virus regulatory push

China has drawn up new guidelines to reclassify dogs as pets rather than livestock, the agriculture ministry said, part of a response to the coronavirus outbreak that the Humane Society called a potential “game changer” in animal welfare. Though dog meat remains...

08 Apr 2020

New Zealand meat industry calls on Kiwis to eat more pork

The New Zealand meat industry is calling on the public to eat more pork in order to save pigs. It’s quite the piggy paradox, but after independent butchers had to close their doors there’s a surplus of 5000 pigs every week. New Zealand Pork CEO David Baines told Ne...

08 Apr 2020

ASF Poland: 2nd farm confirmed infected

A 2nd pig farm in Western Poland is infected with African Swine Fever. This time, a 10,000 pig facility near the village of Więckowice was hit. That village is located 20 kilometres west of Poznan and over 130 kilometres from the border with Germany. Remarkably, this farm is ...

07 Apr 2020

Devon 2 Sisters factory hit by ‘key worker’ strike involving 170 employees

A Devon meat factory was hit by a strike today when 170 ‘key workers’ failed to show up for the morning shift at the 2 Sisters factory in Willand. The huge poultry processing plant confirmed that some of its staff ‘chose not to report into work’ on Tues...

07 Apr 2020

FSA Open letter to the meat industry in England in response to coronavirus

To those working in businesses across the meat industry in England. In these unprecedented times, we want to thank you all for working with the Food Standards Agency (FSA) to enable your meat processing and our meat inspection to continue in businesses up and down the country ...

03 Apr 2020

Pigs fly in as China replenishes world’s biggest hog herd

BEIJING (Reuters) – Six planes carrying more than 4,000 high-quality French breeding pigs have arrived in China so far this year, the first of an expected dozens of plane-loads as the world’s top pork producer rebuilds its decimated hog herd. China is ramping up import...

03 Apr 2020

Shenzhen bans dog & cat meat

SHENZHEN in Guangdong Province has banned the eating of dogs and cats as part of a wider clampdown on the wildlife trade since the emergence of the new coronavirus. Scientists suspect the coronavirus passed to humans from animals. Some of the earliest infections were found in ...

03 Apr 2020

Meat firm takes different route to find business

A Linlithgow food service operator is the latest to switch to selling direct to consumers after its regular outlets dried up. Campbells Prime Meats is still making deliveries to the NHS, hub schools and social care settings but its core business was delivering to high-end rest...

03 Apr 2020

Lamb market seeks demand

Liveweight lamb prices have been a mixed bag this week. Following sharp declines last week, this week the GB daily prices have been stable to slightly higher. Despite these small rises, prices remain below levels seen before Monday 23 March. Throughout the week throughputs hav...

03 Apr 2020

Meat industry needs ‘flexible’ furlough deal

Meat businesses suffering from the coronavirus downturn would benefit from more flexibility in the government’s offer of staff furlough payments. Speaking from the Association of Independent Meat Suppliers, head of policy Norman Bagley said: “We welcome the measures ta...

02 Apr 2020

Social distancing ‘very challenging’ as pork processors keep supplies moving

Pork processors are doing a ‘fantastic job’ of keeping supplies running during these unprecedented times, but social distancing in plants is proving to be a real challenge, according to the British Meat Processors Association (BMPA). BMPA technical operations director Davi...

01 Apr 2020

Coronavirus crisis creates jobs at pig farms and pork factories

Pig farms are finding ways to cope with erratic demand and pork producers are recruiting for temporary jobs in a bid to keep this key Norfolk food sector functioning during the coronavirus crisis. Major pig producers and processors looking for people include Cranswick, which s...

31 Mar 2020

AIMS calls for ‘flexible furlough’ for meat plants

The Association of Independent Meat Suppliers (AIMS) is calling on the Government to introduce a flexible furlough scheme for the meat industry. It wants abattoirs to be able to be able pay full wages when staff are needed and the 80% furlough payment when they are not needed....

30 Mar 2020

West Wales marts closure comes as blow to farmers

An auctioneer firm’s decision to suspend sales of lambs, calves and store cattle at Whitland and Crymych marts for at least three weeks has been described as a blow for local farmers. JJ Morris said none of its marts would operate for three weeks in response to the ongoing c...

30 Mar 2020

Cranswick buys out farm partner

White Rose Farms brought completely in-house along with joint venture company it launched with. Pork giant Cranswick Plc has further strengthened its self-sufficiency in the UK pig market, after acquiring a farm it helped set up – and the operation it partnered with. The...

29 Mar 2020

West Scottish Lamb abattoir to close temporarily

A CARLISLE abattoir was today due to close temporarily as the economic impact from coronavirus continued to spread and deepen across the global economy. West Scottish Lamb at Kingstown, which is known to slaughter large numbers of sheep for export to Europe, confirmed the sh...

26 Mar 2020

‘Key workers’ walk out of factories over lack of social distancing

Workers at Moy Park and ABP Food Group factories in Northern Ireland staged a walk out following concerns social distancing measures were being ignored by the companies. Upset about the working arrangements inside the factories and the lack of measures in place to combat the...

26 Mar 2020

Lamb prices tumble

The past week has been firmly spilt in two for the GB lamb market. During the few days running up to the weekend, liveweight prices were steady or only marginally down. After the weekend however prices were dramatically lower. The weekly GB liveweight OSL SQQ fell almo...

25 Mar 2020

Call for ‘Immediate Suspension’ of all beef imports to EU

The Covid-19 pandemic has led to a complete redefinition of the EU beef market in a matter of weeks and represents a market shock of a magnitude that requires immediate response by the EU Commission according to Des Morrison, Chairperson of ICMSA’s Livestock Committee. Mr Mo...

25 Mar 2020

Key workers walk out at poultry plant over coronavirus fears

Large numbers of workers have walked out at one of Northern Ireland’s main poultry manufacturers, a union said. Unite regional officer Sean McKeever said the mass departure at Moy Park in Portadown, Co Armagh, is due to concerns over coronavirus. Unite said it has attempted ...

25 Mar 2020

Why did lamb prices fall while prime cattle prices remained steady?

The first thing to note is that this is a volatile and fast moving situation, and a number of auction markets have closed from today (24 March). Yesterday liveweight lamb prices fell sharply. The daily GB OSL SQQ declined by almost 73p week-on-week, which is equivalent to arou...

24 Mar 2020

Fears of cattle price drop grow as steaks pile up

Concerns have been raised that cattle prices could drop over the coming weeks, with demand for steaks from both the food service sector and retailers plummeting due to the coronavirus epidemic. Pubs and restaurants which would ordinarily buy up steaks have been forced to close...

24 Mar 2020

Lamb prices crash as supply chain succumbs to coronavirus pressure

Livestock auctions have reported a 36 per cent drop in lamb price on the week after recent periods of high throughput and strong trade, with Covid-19 weighing on the supply chain. Cancellation of EU orders and the realignment of the food service sector, which has seen more pro...

23 Mar 2020

McDonald’s restaurant closures sees meat and dairy supplies redirected

The fast food giant has announced its decision to close its 1,350 UK stores from March 23 to negate the spread of the virus. In a social media statement made on March 22, McDonald’s said the decision was ‘difficult’ but necessary to ensure the ‘wellbeing and safety o...

23 Mar 2020

Livestock auctions thrive despite challenging year

Latest throughput figures show healthy picture and good demand at livestock auctions during a challenging year. The figures in England and Wales from the Livestock Auctioneers’ Association (LAA), demonstrate a strong support and demand for the red-meat sector. Numbers sold r...

23 Mar 2020

Pork processors on recruitment drive to help meet growing retail demand

Leading UK pork processors are embarking on a major recruitment drive to help meet the increased demand for food from supermarkets and to fill any gaps that arise due to staff absences related to the coronavirus outbreak. Karro Foods is seeking hundreds of new staff on perman...

23 Mar 2020

Processors aiming for ‘full week’, despite coronavirus staff concerns

Most of the majors are planning a full week’s processing, albeit with some slack built into the plan to cope with staff absenteeism, according to Thames Valley Cambac’s latest market update. Unsurprisingly, the market last week was dominated by the coronavirus outbreak, a...

22 Mar 2020

Hundreds of US beef and pork plants eligible to export to China

The Agriculture Department published a list on Saturday of hundreds of beef and pork producing and storage facilities that are now eligible to export to China under the new, less-restrictive regulations negotiated in the “phase one” trade agreement. USDA’s Food Safety...

20 Mar 2020

China to auction 20,000 tonnes of pork from state reserves

BEIJING, March 19 (Xinhua) — China has allocated 20,000 tonnes of emergency pork reserve from the country’s central inventory to regions hardest-hit by the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) including Wuhan and other cities in Hubei Province, in an effort to keep...

19 Mar 2020

Meat levy body taking break from face-to-face assessments

Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) is to stop all routine face-to-face quality assurance visits for at least one month in a bid to reduce the spread of coronavirus. The red meat levy body runs assurances schemes for the Scotch Beef, Scotch Lamb and Specially Selected Pork brands. Its...

19 Mar 2020

Coronavirus and Italy’s pork market

by Duncan Wyatt It seems that Italy is being hit particularly hard by the coronavirus outbreak. Unfortunately, we won’t have official data concerning slaughter, trade and domestic demand for some time. However, we do have some early indications about how the disease is affec...

19 Mar 2020

UK sheep meat imports decline, exports rise in January

By Rebecca Wright During January, UK imports of fresh and frozen sheep meat declined by 18% (900 tonnes) year-on-year, to 4,400 tonnes, according to HMRC data. The volume from New Zealand declined just over 500 tonnes, to 2,000 tonnes. There was some uplift in the volume from...

19 Mar 2020

China resumes economic activity

By Rebecca Wright After two months of shut down, China has begun to cautiously relax measures brought in to control the spread of coronavirus, although some areas have stricter protocols than others. School and colleges are beginning to resume classes, factories and ports are ...

19 Mar 2020

Covid-19 rumours hurt India’s poultry industry

Speculation is rife on social media platforms in India over possible avian links to the deadly Covid-19 disease. The many rumours associated with the consumption of chicken has put a dent in sales and put the poultry industry in a pickle. Millions of small poultry farmers acro...

18 Mar 2020

Livestock market turnover nears £1.6bn as throughput soars

Livestock market turnover neared £1.6 billion in 2019, with numbers sold rising across nearly all categories and an increase in buyers returning to the ring. Livestock Auctioneers’ Association (LAA) data showed sheep trade was particularly strong, with almost 10 million ...

18 Mar 2020

Brazilian chicken exports to China grow 59%, despite Covid19

China had imported 115,400 tons of Brazilian chicken meat during the 2020 first bimester, 59% more than the same period in 2019. Despite the coronavirus pandemic, other factors, like depressed meat production in the country due to ASF, are still favouring international trade. ...

18 Mar 2020

Panic buying forces British supermarkets to ration food

LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s biggest supermarkets, Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda, limited purchases of all food products on Wednesday after frantic shoppers stripped shelves to prepare for possible isolation during the coronavirus outbreak. The spread of the virus has ...

18 Mar 2020

UK beef trade has a strong start to 2020

By Felicity Rusk In January, UK exports of fresh and frozen beef recorded strong growth, compared to the previous year. Meanwhile, UK beef imports recorded a decline on the year. Exports UK exports of fresh and frozen beef recorded strong growth in January, totalling 11,300 to...

18 Mar 2020

Deadweight cattle prices hold firm

By Hannah Clarke Overall, prime deadweight cattle prices remained stable in the week ending 14 March. The all-prime price rose by 0.2p on the week to average 335.4p/kg, now down just 0.8p on the same week last year. Heifers recorded a more positive week than steers, with th...

18 Mar 2020

Coronavirus: Farmers who supply Morrisons to receive early payments

Morrisons has announced it will pay farmers earlier than usual as the retailer deals with the impact of coronavirus. Farmers, local foodmakers and small businesses will be paid early to support them amid the spread of the disease. Morrisons said the faster payments will suppor...

18 Mar 2020

Brazil’s JBS, Minerva may suspend operations due to coronavirus supply chain woes

SAO PAULO, March 16 (Reuters) – Brazilian meatpackers JBS and Minerva Foods are considering suspending operations at some slaughterhouses in Brazil due to supply chain issues from China, JBS and sources close to Minerva said on Monday. JBS said it had been monitoring the...

18 Mar 2020

New Zealand food export sector ‘well placed’ to manage coronavirus fallout

A senior rural economist believes the New Zealand dairy industry and wider food sector is in a stronger position than most to weather the fallout from the coronavirus outbreak. Global dairy prices have fallen on the back of the coronavirus outbreak, but the lower NZD/USD mean...

17 Mar 2020

Coronavirus: Melton Mowbray Livestock Market restricts activities

No activity other than Tuesday livestock sales and Friday farmers markets will be allowed at Melton Livestock Market as the operators bid to limit the spread of the coronavirus. Today’s announcement means the Tavern pub will close for an indefinite period, car boot, Sunday m...

17 Mar 2020

2 NI marts to close due to Covid-19 concerns

Two Northern Ireland livestock marts have announced they will shut their gates due to concerns over Covid-19. Saintfield Livestock Market in Co. Down and Armoy Livestock Mart in Co. Antrim made announcements that all sales would be cancelled with immediate effect this evening ...

17 Mar 2020

British Pig & Poultry Fair 2020 cancelled

The British Pig & Poultry Fair 2020 has been cancelled, after Prime Minister Boris Johnson said mass gatherings should not take place. Mr Johnson said that while the risk of Coronavirus disease transmission at mass gatherings remained low, the Government was ‘moving emph...

17 Mar 2020

Farmers and vets slam BBC for ‘unbalanced’ Countryfile item

Farmers and vets have criticised the BBC for broadcasting ‘abhorrent’ and ‘unbalanced’ reporting on Countryfile. The programme, aired on Sunday 15 March, scrutinised the Red Tractor food assurance scheme and looked at whether consumers should trust it. ...

16 Mar 2020

China encourages companies to raise pigs overseas

BEIJING (Reuters) – China said on Monday that it is encouraging companies to build pig farms overseas to plug a severe domestic pork shortage after a worse-than-ever African swine fever slashed almost half of its pig herd. China has urged local authorities to support qua...

13 Mar 2020

Coronavirus has limited effect on commodity prices, so far

Coronavirus has had a limited impact on UK agricultural commodity prices. Wheat prices have slipped globally as disruption to the global market increases and the latest prices in the latest Global Dairy Trade auction were down 10 per cent on the last sale of 2019. Deadweight p...

13 Mar 2020

China’s port jam eases, but refrigerated container rates soar

BEIJING, March 13 (Reuters) – Severe congestion at Chinese ports is easing, say officials and industry participants, although a logjam of refrigerated containers has disrupted supplies of fresh and frozen food and pushed up freight rates outside China. Thousands of refri...

13 Mar 2020

China proposes standards on hormone residues in beef after U.S. trade deal

BEIJING, March 12 (Reuters) – China has drawn up food safety standards on residue limits of growth hormones in beef, a move seen as a further step towards opening up its market to American imports of the meat. China has previously had zero tolerance for any residues of g...

13 Mar 2020

Meat processors focused on keeping plants open as coronavirus spreads – BMPA

The meat processing sector will do everything it can to keep plants open as the impact of coronavirus in the UK grows, the British Meat Processors Association (BMPA) has said. As the UK braces itself for significant further spread of the COVID-19 virus, with potentially huge ...

13 Mar 2020

Welsh Bros Foods: Newport firm closes with 29 jobs lost

A meat company in Newport has gone into administration with 29 jobs lost. Welsh Bros Foods has supplied restaurants and hotels across south Wales and the South West since 1964. The firm called in administrators Grant Thornton UK on 2 March following a fall in turnover over the...

12 Mar 2020

Liveweight sheep price up again

In the week ending 11 March, the GB OSL liveweight SQQ continued its upward trend from the week before, rising by just over 4p to average 242.8p/kg. Throughput stood at 111,700 head, up 4,800 head on the week. Trade is reportedly brisk at the moment, with well-presented lambs ...

12 Mar 2020

Coronavirus: NZ lamb being diverted to Middle East not Europe

There were concerns that New Zealand sheep meat originally destined for China might be diverted towards Europe due to the on-going coronavirus situation in China. However, reports from New Zealand have confirmed that so far at least, the diverted product has mainly he...

12 Mar 2020

Cheap pork imports ‘a serious risk’ to UK food

Import tariffs on non-EU pork and a free trade agreement with Europe are vital to uphold food standards post-Brexit, the National Pig Association (NPA) has warned. The tariffs are in place to ensure that imported pigmeat, produced at low cost using banned drugs or inhumane sys...

11 Mar 2020

Germany and Middle East Lead the Way as Lamb Exports Surge

Germany and the Middle East continue to be key markets for British lamb as new figures show sheepmeat exports surged last year. Exports jumped 7.1% by value and 12.6% by volume compared to the previous year despite a lower than usual volume of trade in December. The publicatio...

11 Mar 2020

Nicholas Saphir appointed new AHDB chairman

The Government has appointed Nicholas Saphir as the new Chair of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) with effect from 1 April 2020 for a three-year term. Mr Saphir will take over the role with AHDB from Sir Peter Kendall who completes his second term in o...

11 Mar 2020

Pig prices post a modest increase

by Bethan Wilkins The SPP rose a little in the latest week ended 7 March, with the EU-spec price reaching 163.05p/kg. Prices do generally start to show a seasonal rise at this time of year. Although so far this year, prices have not followed usual seasonal trends, remai...

11 Mar 2020

Small increase to GB cattle prices

By Jennie Tanner In the week ending 7 March, the all prime cattle price rose slightly, up by 0.1p on the week to average 335.2p/kg. The latest price is now 4.2p less than the same week last year, and 9.6p below the five-year average, the gap between the two closing further. O...

11 Mar 2020

China to auction 20,000 tonnes of frozen pork from state reserves

BEIJING, March 11 (Reuters) – China will auction another 20,000 tonnes of frozen pork from its state reserves on March 13, a notice from the China Merchandise Reserve Management Center said on Wednesday. Beijing has released hundreds of thousands of tonnes of pork since ...

11 Mar 2020

Coronavirus can’t shackle Australia’s runaway lamb prices

Lamb prices in Australia have continued to creep higher despite the coronavirus panic ratcheting up a few more notches around the world. Market pundits are wondering when this golden run will end but coronavirus doesn’t seem to be weighing on the export market – fo...

11 Mar 2020

AHDB succeeds in challenging misinformation

Claims by Quorn and the BBC on the environmental impact of red meat in the UK have been successfully challenged by AHDB. Quorn had claimed ‘carbon emissions from livestock are greater than those of all global transport’, and the BBC had claimed that ‘cutting meat is t...

10 Mar 2020

‘Business as usual’ for now for British Pig & Poultry Fair amid coronavirus concerns

The organisers of the British Pig & Poultry Fair have stressed that it is ‘business as usual’ for now amid fears the event might not be able to go ahead in May due to concern over the spread of coronavirus. The Royal Agricultural Society of England (RASE) and Grandstan...

10 Mar 2020

Assault probe as animal rights activists clash with traders at livestock market

Police are investigating an assault after animal rights activists clashed with traders at a livestock market over the weekend. The Norwich Livestock Market is routinely picketed by animal rights activists and has been for the past few years – protests which largely end u...

10 Mar 2020

French farmers dig in for Brexit game of chicken

PRUILLE-LE-CHETIF, France (Reuters) – French poultry farmer Isabelle Leballeur is fed up with European trade agreements that allow low-cost chicken into France and is determined to stop post-Brexit Britain getting that kind of deal. Along with other farmers, she is press...

10 Mar 2020

Vietnam imports 66,000 tonnes of meat in two months

Vietnam imported nearly 66,000 tonnes of meat in the first two months of this year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. Of which, pork imports reached 13,816 tonnes, an increase of 150 per cent over the same period of 2019. The largest pork import v...

10 Mar 2020

British beef exports edge closer to US market

Beef from the UK could soon be heading to America after government officials agreed the next step of an export deal worth around £66 million over the first five years. The US has today agreed equivalence of standards on the UK’s disease control measures following a three-we...

10 Mar 2020

China inflation slips but stays high on virus, food worries

The soaring price of pork and other food kept Chinese consumer inflation close to eight-year highs in February, official data showed today, as authorities battled the coronavirus outbreak. Analysts said the figure would likely remain elevated for some time as measures put in...

09 Mar 2020

Russian poultry exports to China caught in logistics jam

Russian poultry exporters are suffering losses because of overstocking at Chinese ports on the back of the continuing Covid-19 coronavirus epidemic in the country, Russian newspaper Agroinvestor reported. Russia exported 62,600 tonnes of poultry to China, representing $ 143....

09 Mar 2020

Costa Rica the 1st in Central America to ship pork to China

Costa Rica is the 1st Central America country that has been allowed to export pig meat to China. Last February, a shipment left Puerto Caldera with a delivery of 24 tonnes of pork products destined for Shenzhen, Guandong province, China. The 1st shipment includes ribs, bacon,...

08 Mar 2020

‪Australian Meat processors battling to make money due to record livestock prices‬

Record livestock prices are forcing some abattoirs in New South Wales to cancel shifts or shut down operations in the short term. JBS shut down its plant in Scone last Friday due to a shortage of livestock while Southern Meats in Goulburn has shut down its plant this week. The...

08 Mar 2020

U.S. says it will ban pig shipments if fatal hog virus is detected

CHICAGO (Reuters) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture said on Friday it will prohibit shipments of all pigs for at least three days if the nation ever finds a case of a fatal hog disease that has ravaged China’s herd. The federal government is preparing to contain and...

07 Mar 2020

Council terminates lease with Newark Livestock Mart after rent dispute

A Nottinghamshire council is terminating its lease with Newark Livestock Market due to ‘substantial and longstanding’ rent arrears. The cattle and sheep market, located off Great North Road, is set to close after Newark and Sherwood District Council ended its contr...

06 Mar 2020

A scathing judgment on animal rights extremists

06 Mar 2020 by Tim Bonner There was a strange criminal case reported in the Telegraph last weekend which exposed both the workings of the animal rights movement and two of its most unpleasant activists. The prosecution involved an abattoir in Kent which had been broken into b...

06 Mar 2020

India poultry industry hit by false virus claims

India’s poultry industry is reeling after sales fell nearly 80 percent over false claims that chickens were carriers of the new coronavirus and could pass it to humans, officials said Friday. Messages warning people to stop eating chicken because of the contagion have be...

05 Mar 2020

China’s scramble for piglets inflates prices

With obscene profits to be made, China’s swine farmers are scrambling to buy scarce piglets, driving their prices to crazy-high levels. Soaring piglet prices are the most obvious indicator of a ballooning cost structure that is likely to lock in ever-higher Chinese meat ...

04 Mar 2020

Further UK pork price rises under threat from China and Russia

UK pig producers are being warned further price increases are under threat from the impact of coronavirus on Chinese demand and rising Russian production. Deadweight standard pig prices are currently tracking at about 162p/kg – 25p/kg higher than both the same week last year...

04 Mar 2020

China’s Pork Hunger Stays Strong With More Dining at Home

(Bloomberg) — China’s demand for its staple meat, pork, is staying strong despite fears that the coronavirus outbreak would hurt consumption. Shipments from Brazil, a key Chinese supplier, more than doubled in February from a year earlier, according to figures from the...

04 Mar 2020

Germany and Middle East Lead the Way as Lamb Exports Surge

Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales (HCC) has welcomed the publication of full-year export statistics for 2019 by HMRC, which showed that sheepmeat exports jumped 7.1% by value and 12.6% by volume compared to the previous year despite a lower than usual volume of tr...

04 Mar 2020

Sheep group slams Treasury adviser’s ‘alarming’ farming remarks

The National Sheep Association said any move to abandon the UK farming industry is ‘almost too ridiculous to believe’ Senior government adviser Dr Tim Leunig’s recent controversial remarks are ‘alarming and concerning’, the National Sheep Associat...

04 Mar 2020

642 jobs at risk as Tulip’s Tipton plant faces closure

Tulip is considering closing its Tipton plant in the West Midlands, putting 642 jobs at risk. The UK’s biggest pork processor has announced it will be entering into collective consultation with employee representatives over the future of the fresh pork manufacturing site. As...

04 Mar 2020

Undercover footage of abattoir ruled inadmissible over integrity concerns

Footage filmed undercover at an abattoir by Animal Aid activists which appeared to show sheep being mistreated has been ruled inadmissible by a court judge. Forge Farm Meats, Tunbridge Wells, Kent was facing 14 charges for breaking animal welfare rules but the case has been dr...

03 Mar 2020

People who feed dogs and cats a vegan diet could be killing their pets

An animal expert has warned that pet owners who inflict their vegan views on their dogs and cats could be putting them at risk of fatal conditions. TV and radio dog guru, Anna Webb, has issued the stark warning, after some pet food brands released vegan ranges claiming that it...

03 Mar 2020

British Poultry Awards 2020 – Now open for entries

The fourth British Poultry Awards is now open! The British Poultry Council is inviting retailers, foodservice operators, farmers, producers and industry suppliers to take part and showcase the very best of British poultry across the whole industry. The prestigious awards cerem...

03 Mar 2020

Menu that sparked the legend of knighting joint of beef ‘sirloin’ goes up for auction

A 400-year-old menu that sparked the legend King James I invented “sirloin” after knighting a joint of beef at Hoghton Tower has gone up for auction. King James I and his royal party made a return journey from Scotland to London in August 1617. On their journey they stopp...

03 Mar 2020

Euro Garages brothers consider bid for Asda

BILLIONAIRE Blackburn brothers Mohsin and Zuber Issa are understood to be eyeing up a bid for Asda. The Euro Garages founders are said to be among several potential bidders for the 71-year-old UK supermarket giant after US owner Walmart confirmed it was in talks to sell its ...

03 Mar 2020

Slower-growing chickens have improved meat quality, study says

Producing meat from slower-growing chickens could significantly reduce mortality and improve meat quality, new research suggests. The study compared the health, welfare and production characteristics of the three fastest-growing broiler breeds used most extensively worldwide w...

03 Mar 2020

Impossible Foods cuts prices of plant-based meat to distributors

(Reuters) – Impossible Foods on Tuesday announced an average of 15% cut in vegan product prices to distributors in the United States and asked them to pass it on to restaurants as the plant-based meat maker competes against beef products. The move comes amid increasing d...

03 Mar 2020

Levy boards extend collaborative work

A larger pot of £3.5 million has been committed to ring-fenced fund (RFF) work between levy boards in England, Scotland and Wales in the coming year. For the last two years, AHDB, Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) and Meat Promotion Wales (HCC) have jointly decided on a collaborati...

02 Mar 2020

China Says African Swine Fever Vaccine Effective in Lab Tests

China has been trying to find a vaccine since outbreak in 2018. The U.S. also said in January is had a promising vaccine. China’s Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, the country’s top research body on animal diseases, said it developed an African swine fever vaccine t...

02 Mar 2020

NZ Exports to China rise strongly in January

Exports to China rose $302 million (31 percent) to $1.3 billion in January 2020 compared with January 2019, led by increases in dairy, meat, and logs, Stats NZ said today. This was the biggest increase in dollar value for any New Zealand export market in January and accounted ...

02 Mar 2020

Farmers criticise proposed beef ban at LSE for ‘knee jerk’ response to climate change

Following a similar but unsuccessful move at Edinburgh University (February 12), LSE has become the latest further education institution to vote for a beef ban. At a Students’ Union meeting (February 21), students voted 243 to 170 in favour of banning beef on campus and the ...

02 Mar 2020

Factory reliability continues to hamper pork production

Factory reliability continued to be the pork supply chain’s Achilles heel last week, with one major losing a whole day due to a Health and Safety issue, according to Thames Valley Cambac. “Gremlins affected other majors leading to hastily arranged Saturday kills, and some ...

02 Mar 2020

NZ Meat export prices hit record high

Export prices for meat, including beef and lamb, rose to their highest-ever level in the December 2019 quarter, boosting overall export prices, Stats NZ said today. “Meat export prices have risen for three quarters in a row, on the back of strong demand towards the end of la...

02 Mar 2020

Argentine meat exporters expect quick recovery of China’s import market

SANTA FE, Argentina, Feb. 29 (Xinhua) — Argentina’s meat exporting sector expects China’s beef imports to bounce back to pre-epidemic levels soon, a representatives of the sector has said. “I think it’s a matter of time. Today, China is at a junct...

28 Feb 2020

New Zealand to release data on China trade amid coronavirus outbreak

WELLINGTON (Reuters) – New Zealand said on Friday that it would release provisional data on its trade with China in the four weeks to Feb. 23, in a special release prompted by heightened interest in the impact on businesses from the coronavirus epidemic. Statistics New Z...

27 Feb 2020

Rumours of Avian Links to Coronavirus Hit Poultry Sales in India

(Bloomberg) — Rumors in India that birds could spread the coronavirus are taking their toll on sales of poultry in the world’s second-most populous nation. The speculation is circulating on social media, according to B.S. Yadav, managing director of Godrej Agrovet Ltd....

27 Feb 2020

Ukraine in world’s top 3 poultry meat suppliers to EU in 2019 – report

Last year, Ukraine increased exports to the EU by 8.6%. In 2019, Ukraine increased poultry meat exports to the European Union by 8.6% on year – up to 134,260 tonnes, becoming one of the world’s top three suppliers to the EU, that’s according to the European Commi...

27 Feb 2020

Liveweight lamb prices choppy, deadweight price strengthens again

Liveweight lamb prices fell slightly in the week ending 26 February. The OSL SQQ price dropped 4p compared to a week earlier to average 234.88p/kg. This is despite continued reports of relatively tight lamb supplies in the market generally. Daily prices throughout the week wer...

27 Feb 2020

Levy boards to share £3.5m funding pot to promote red meat

A larger pot of £3.5 million has been committed to the ring-fenced fund shared between the levy boards in England, Scotland and Wales in the coming year. Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing told the Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) conference in Glasgow this was an extension of t...

27 Feb 2020

New Zealand prepared for ‘serious impact’ on economy from virus – finance minister

WELLINGTON (Reuters) – The coronavirus outbreak could have a serious impact on New Zealand’s economy in the short term, the country’s finance minister said on Thursday, amid new data that showed businesses were feeling more pessimistic about their prospects. Grant Ro...

27 Feb 2020

Shenzhen prepares ban on eating cats and dogs after outbreak

SHENZHEN, China (Reuters) – The southern Chinese technology hub of Shenzhen is moving to outlaw the consumption of dogs and cats as the country clamps down on the wildlife trade that scientists suspect led to the coronavirus outbreak. The proposed regulations from the ci...

27 Feb 2020

Brazil beef firms face reduced Chinese demand due to coronavirus

SAO PAULO, Feb 27 (Reuters) – China’s beef imports will fall in the first half of 2020 due to fallout from the coronavirus outbreak, which is complicating the circulation of people and trade globally, Rabobank said in a report released on Thursday. The situation may re...

27 Feb 2020

China releases 20,000 tonnes of pork from state reserves

China on Thursday released 20,000 tonnes of pork from its central reserves in a bid to increase supply and stabilize market expectations, according to the Ministry of Commerce (MOC). The release was jointly arranged by the MOC and other authorities including the National Devel...

27 Feb 2020

Mixed messages on menu at Meat the Future event

Scotland’s beef, lamb and pork producers and processors were challenged yesterday to rethink the future trajectory of the red meat business by focusing on exports and embracing the opportunities offered by climate change. However, after a full day of sometimes mixed messages...

27 Feb 2020

Kenya bans slaughter of donkeys as China demand soars

Kenya’s agriculture minister has banned the slaughter of donkeys and ordered the closure of all donkey abattoirs in the country. Peter Munya gave the owners of the Kenya’s four donkey abattoirs a month to transition to slaughtering other livestock such as cattle and goats....

27 Feb 2020

GB pig prices for week ending February 22, 2020

The EU-spec SPP stayed relatively stable in the week ending 22 February, down 0.05p on the week to average 162.73p/kg. More pigs weighing over 100kg came forward than last week, while the price paid for these pigs fell, weighing on the overall price. The price for pigs weighin...

27 Feb 2020

Russia increases pork exports for second year running

Following a year of growing pig meat exports, Russia finished 2019 in a net exporter position for the second consecutive year. Compared to the previous year, its position has strengthened considerably, up from +8,900 tonnes in 2018 to +27,500 tonnes 2019. Russian exports of p...

27 Feb 2020

How coronavirus is impacting the global markets

Coronavirus is currently a global talking point, although reliable data is hard to come by in terms of its impact on agriculture. Trade data will show us the impact for product going into China, but information on trade is always a few months behind, so it will be a while befo...

26 Feb 2020

“Plant-based foods cannot replace meat”

Professor Louise Fresco, president of the executive board of Wageningen University, says meat must be part of future diets. Delivering her speech as keynote speaker at this year’s City Food Lecture, in London, Fresco warned that despite real environmental concerns, animals w...

26 Feb 2020

AHDB targets Canadian hospitality sector

Quality beef, lamb and pork from the UK will be in the spotlight when AHDB exhibits at the Restaurants Canada Show this weekend. Five exporters will join AHDB on the stand at Canada’s largest foodservice and hospitality event, which starts in Toronto on Sunday. It is the fir...

26 Feb 2020

Government launches new EHC Online system

The way that you submit an application for an Export Health Certificate (EHC) is changing. The government have launched a new EHC Online system to speed up the certification process. The new service is called EHC Online. Export Health Certificate Online allows exporters and ce...

25 Feb 2020

‘Attacks on red meat are making livestock farmers feel worthless’ – NFU president

Activism and misinformation about agriculture reported by the media is ‘number one’ on farmers’ lists of concerns and is contributing to mental health issues. Using her podium at the NFU Conference to highlight the vitriol directed at farmers, union president Minette Bat...

25 Feb 2020

ASF: ARE THERE TRADING OPPORTUNITIES BEYOND CHINA?

Besides China, African swine fever (ASF) is now affecting several other key pig meat trading countries. These include Vietnam, the Philippines and South Korea. We explore the supply and demand impact on these countries and what it might mean for global trade. Vietnam For the f...

25 Feb 2020

Coronavirus an ‘ongoing issue’ for export trade

Coronavirus is an ongoing issue that continues to hamper the pork export trade, according to the latest pig marketing summary from Thames Valley Cambac. It says the problem looks set to continue for the short-term, with the export trade stalling due to the number of people af...

25 Feb 2020

China further eases U.S. beef and beef product import curbs

BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s customs office said on Monday it had conditionally lifted a ban on beef and beef products from U.S. cows more than 30 months old, following Beijing’s pledge to increase farm purchases from the United States under their Phase 1 trade deal. ...

25 Feb 2020

Incoming chairman of agricultural group hits back at “farmer bashing”

The newly elected chairman of a branch of the National Sheep Association has highlighted the group’s emphasis on cutting food waste rather than “farmer bashing”. Kate Hovers, Brecon vet and sheep farmer, set the tone for the AGM of the National Sheep Associat...

25 Feb 2020

UK pork exports to Mexico move closer

Ambitions for Mexico to gain access to UK pork has moved a step closer after a recent delegation to inspect facilities was described as ‘positive’. The delegation of Mexican officials spent two weeks visiting abattoirs and processors to learn more about the UK’s ...

25 Feb 2020

Harper Adams University has a beef with the latest trends on meat

The university, in Edgmond near Newport, said it would not be banning beef from its campus menus, despite new messages from Hollywood celebrities and activists. Beef has become the latest food to be questioned because of its impact on the environment and the way it is farmed. ...

23 Feb 2020

China bans some Europe poultry imports on bird flu outbreaks – customs

SHANGHAI, Feb 21 (Reuters) – China said it would ban imports of poultry and poultry products from Slovenia, Hungary, Germany and Ukraine due to bird flu outbreaks, according to a customs statement. China has reported bird flu cases in its Sichuan, Hunan and Xinjiang prov...

23 Feb 2020

Why it’s hard to find a Burger King in Australia

Companies often change valuable brand names when expanding to other countries. Sometimes the reason is a language issue. But other times, the reasons are far more interesting. When Burger King was founded in 1954, it was originally called Insta-Burger King and grew quickly th...

23 Feb 2020

Pork shortage saving NZ meat industry

NZ Meat industry strong in face of coronavirus outbreak. A shortage of pork in China means New Zealand’s meat industry won’t be hit too hard by the coronavirus outbreak, Meat Industry Association CEO Tim Ritchie said. “It’s not a time to panic, but it&#...

23 Feb 2020

ASF Greece: No further cases reported so far

The outbreak of African Swine Fever on a small backyard farm in Greece for now appears to have been an isolated case. .Additional research has not demonstrated a spread. Immediately after the discovery of the outbreak on February 3, protective measures were put in place. The f...

23 Feb 2020

Brazil’s BRF says meat shipments to China normal despite port woes

SAO PAULO, Feb 22 (Reuters) – Brazilian food processor BRF SA has not stopped shipping meat products to China even amid congestion at some of that nation’s ports related to the new coronavirus outbreak, the company said late on Friday, answering a query from Reuters. B...

23 Feb 2020

Brazil says U.S. will allow fresh Brazilian beef imports

SAO PAULO/BRASILIA, Feb 21 (Reuters) – Brazilian Agriculture Minister Tereza Cristina Dias said on Friday that the United States had reopened its market for Brazilian fresh beef exports, effective immediately. The United States had halted imports of Brazilian fresh beef ...

23 Feb 2020

China considering more action to boost consumption -commerce ministry

BEIJING, Feb 20 (Reuters) – The coronavirus outbreak has had a “relatively big impact” on China’s consumption levels, and the government will study rolling out more support measures, including boosting auto sales, the commerce ministry has said. Consumption will be...

23 Feb 2020

China’s chicken chain comes unstuck amid chaos of virus measures

BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s chicken farmers had been looking forward to a bumper year. But an unprecedented lockdown on people and goods to curb the coronavirus outbreak has disrupted the short but intense poultry lifecycle, threatening output of meat just as the world...

23 Feb 2020

Livestock industry braces itself for possible policy changes

Possible changes to cross-border livestock movements and import tarrifs, are being closely monitored as government consultations wind up in the next few weeks. Chris Dodds, chairman of the UK Livestock Brexit Group, which is helping advise Defra, said he was waiting for the ...

23 Feb 2020

Farm groups express fury at Government plans to accept US food safety standards

Farm groups have expressed their fury after reports suggested the Government is preparing to break away from EU food safety rules at an upcoming World Trade Organisation (WTO) summit. According to City AM, Julian Braithwaite, the UK’s permanent representative to the WTO, is...

22 Feb 2020

Abattoir workers to be classed as ‘skilled’ in new points based immigration system

Within two days of the UK Government announcing its plans to control migration it has had to quickly row back on its proposals by allowing a new range of jobs to be classified as skilled. This follows a furore, particularly in Scotland, over the potential loss of key wo...

21 Feb 2020

Lab-grown meat? Dutch start-up keeps pork on your plate

ROME (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – A Dutch start-up may have found a workaround for eco-conscious consumers struggling to give up meat: pork grown in a laboratory that doesn’t harm animals or damage the planet. Meatable will this summer unveil its first pork prototype...

21 Feb 2020

Drop off in December trade can’t dampen strong year for UK beef exports

In December, UK imports of fresh and frozen beef continued to record declines compared to the previous year. However, this drop was considerably smaller than seen over most of this year. Exports also recorded a decline, a contrast to the trend seen throughout most of th...

21 Feb 2020

Meat company faces heat over ‘cattle laundering’ in Amazon supply chain

The world’s biggest meat company has frequently been accused of links to deforestation. Now JBS is facing growing pressure from Brazilian politicians and environmentalists to address the information gaps and transparency failings in its supply chain. Critics say these defi...

21 Feb 2020

Scientists map entire African swine fever virus genome

Scientists have mapped genes across the African swine fever virus (ASFV) genome, which they believe could help in the search for a vaccine and antiviral drugs to prevent the devastating disease. Researchers from the Pirbright Institute worked with UCL to map the expression ...

21 Feb 2020

Slaughterhouse protest: Eleven people charged

Eleven people have been charged over an animal rights protest which brought a meat-processing plant to a standstill. Greater Manchester Police was called to the Tulip factory in Ashton-under-Lyne at about 03:30 GMT on Thursday. The 11 men and women will appear before Tameside ...

21 Feb 2020

Price cuts on overweight carcasses

Farmers are being advised to book cattle in advance and ensure they “shop around” for the best deal. The decline in farmgate beef prices is putting the agricultural industry, which is a “major contributor” to the Northern Ireland (NI) economy, at risk, ...

21 Feb 2020

Arrests after activists bring slaughterhouse to standstill

A meat-processing plant has been brought to a standstill by animal liberation protesters. Activists blocked the entrance to the Tulip factory in Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester, in protest at the slaughter of pigs at the site. Smash Speciesism is urging the company to ch...

21 Feb 2020

China’s coronavirus clampdown pushes pork prices toward record

BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s pork prices are hovering near last year’s record after measures to battle a coronavirus epidemic hit transport of pigs and delayed the restart of slaughtering plants, crimping already tight supplies of the meat. The virus epidemic, which h...

21 Feb 2020

Deadweight lamb prices leap up again

The GB OSL liveweight SQQ remained relatively steady in the week ending 19 February. Prices averaged 238.94p/kg, just 0.02p more than in the previous week. Nevertheless, prices remain almost 50p above the same week last year. Prices reached a peak on Tuesday, averaging 243.51p...

21 Feb 2020

Faux-meat branding is misleading consumers says National Beef Association

The National Beef Association (NBA) is asking for clearer labelling to further educate consumers on traceability and nutritional values. “During the month of January alone, we have seen the arrival of many new ‘no-meat’ product ranges, with misleading labelling and littl...

21 Feb 2020

One of the best years on record for red meat exports

Red meat exports from the UK rocketed to more than £1.5 billion last year – making 2019 one of the strongest years on record, with Asia being key to the success. According to HMRC, the total value of red meat exports rose 13 per cent year-on-year, with more than 661,...

20 Feb 2020

Beef Trade: What are the Irish factories quoting this week?

Last week’s beef kill hit over 39,000. Last week’s beef kill rose to 39,044, according to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine’s database. Breakdown: Young bulls: 4,570; Bulls: 560; Steers: 12,790; Cows: 7,002; Heifers: 11,701. Total (including ...

20 Feb 2020

Russia Bans Imports of Chinese Meat Products

Russian authorities have banned imports of animal products from China to Russia today, as well as Chinese national visits to the country, Izvestia newspaper reported. According to the publication, it is no longer possible for travellers to import meat products from Chin...

20 Feb 2020

Namibia first African country to export red meat to U.S. market

WINDHOEK (Reuters) – Namibia became the first African country to export red meat to the United States after it sent 25 tonnes of beef to Philadelphia, following two decades of haggling over safety regulations and logistics. The arid southern African nation, known for fre...

20 Feb 2020

Updated Pig Welfare Code to come into force on March 1

The new Code of Practice for the Welfare of Pigs in England will come into force on March 1. The draft Code was published in September 2019, but has had to go through a parliamentary process, which was delayed by the election, before it becomes law. This has now been completed...

20 Feb 2020

19 workers in breach of immigration or permit legislation at Irish meat processing firm

Nineteen people were discovered to be in contravention of immigration or permit legislation at a Meath meat processing facility last week. Four people have been arrested and bailed to appear at Swords and Balbriggan District Courts. Gardaí attached to the Garda National Immig...

20 Feb 2020

New immigration rules set to lower farmgate prices and increase production costs

Farmers are set to be hit with a double whammy of lower farmgate prices and higher costs of production as a result of the Government’s proposed immigration rules. Under the new points-based system, anyone wanting to work in the UK would need a job offer with a salary of at l...

20 Feb 2020

GB cattle prices weather storm

In direct contrast to the weather, last week was uneventful for cattle prices. In the week ending 15 February the GB deadweight all prime average remained unchanged at £3.33/kg. Although steer prices for carcases meeting the R4L specification rose by 0.4p on the week, overall...

20 Feb 2020

Coronavirus fears force China into mass chicken cull

China is to begin importing live chickens from the US as feed shortages due to the coronavirus force poultry farms in the world’s second-biggest economy to start culling millions of young birds, reported the Financial Times. The culling of poultry follows the mass slaughter...

20 Feb 2020

NZ – Heat and coronavirus putting pressure on meat industry

Meat processor Silver Fern Farms says trade disruptions in China, combined with dry conditions across New Zealand, have created a perfect storm for the sector. The shortage of pasture here due to hot weather means more farmers are wanting send stock to the works – but wi...

20 Feb 2020

Taiwan bans Italian pork to prevent African swine fever

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine (BAPHIQ) announced Wednesday (Feb. 19) that live pigs and pork products from Italy will no longer be permitted into the country. The bureau said that the decision was made after...

20 Feb 2020

Hormel joins Tyson Foods, JBS in removing drug banned by China from hog supply

CHICAGO, Feb 18 (Reuters) – Spam-maker Hormel Foods Corp is eliminating a growth drug banned by China from its hog supply, the company said on Tuesday, joining rivals that are seeking to increase meat sales to Chinese buyers grappling with a pork shortage. Hormel will no...

19 Feb 2020

Reaction to Britain’s new immigration rules

LONDON (Reuters) – The British government has outlined a new immigration system to manage the flow of workers into the country and replace existing rules from Jan. 1 2021, when Britain will no longer be subject to European Union regulations. Here is some reaction to it. ...

19 Feb 2020

Uncertainty still overshadows beef market but consumption remains steady

There had been some optimism among beef producers that the turning of the year would bring better prices. Auction values had edged upwards from October onwards, but since January have slipped to around 2 per cent less than they were a year ago. In the week ending 8 February st...

19 Feb 2020

Kepak meat plant closure not a result of protests – Beef Plan rep

Last years beef protests were not behind the closure of a Clare meat factory, Clare Beef Plan representative, Joe Woulfe has said. Kepak staff were told on last week that the plant would close for four to six weeks, due to “challenging market conditions. The plant had be...

19 Feb 2020

South Korea pork imports down 8% year on year

Pork imports in South Korea have seen an 8% decline on the previous year, possibly as a result of consumer concerns over African Swine Flu, according to AHDB analysis. Korea Customs data shows that the East Asian country imported 525,000 tonnes of fresh and frozen pork in 2019...

19 Feb 2020

EU red tape strangling UK sausage prospects, say producers

LONDON, Feb 18 (Reuters) – British producers will not be able to export processed meat like sausages and burgers to Europe after Brexit unless they get a specific European Union health certificate which currently does not exist, the British Meat Processors Association (B...

19 Feb 2020

Thousands of Frozen Meat Containers Pile Up at Chinese Ports

(Bloomberg) — Thousands of containers of frozen pork, chicken and beef are piling up at some major Chinese ports as transport disruptions and labor shortages slow operations, people familiar with the matter said. Deliveries are mounting at ports including Tianjin, Shangh...

19 Feb 2020

Argentina’s beef exports to China stumble due to coronavirus

South American meat exporters are seeing a sharp slowdown in trade with the Asian nation as the coronavirus disrupts shipments. One industry leader says exports have almost ground to a halt. South American meat exporters, among the biggest beneficiaries of a pig-killing diseas...

19 Feb 2020

Will Cultured Meat Soon Be A Common Sight In Supermarkets Across The Globe?

Up until now, plant-based food companies like Beyond Meat, Impossible Foods, and Quorn have almost singlehandedly worked to lessen the impacts of industrial animal agriculture. Supermarket shelves and fast food restaurants across the US are serving up vegan burgers and meatb...

16 Feb 2020

China increases US farm imports, dismissing concerns over meeting goals of phase one trade deal

China on Saturday moved again to pave the way to increase purchases of agricultural products from the US by lifting a ban on poultry products, as concerns over the implementation of the phase one trade agreement deepen due to the outbreak of the deadly coronavirus in China. ...

16 Feb 2020

Arm farmers with facts to fight fake news

Farming can help the debate about livestock and the environment become less polarised by explaining how complex and different farming systems are, and what the industry is doing to address climate change. That was the underlying thinking behind an NFU seminar about livestock...

16 Feb 2020

Prime cattle prices continue upwards

In the week ending 8 February, the GB all prime average price rose by 1.4p to settle at 333.3p/kg. Steer prices for R4L beasts rose by 2.4p on the week, helping raise the overall steer price by 0.8p to 333.5p/kg. The overall heifer price rose by 1.6p on the week to average 335...

16 Feb 2020

Heavier carcase weights support UK beef production in January

In January 2020, UK slaughter of prime cattle totalled 170,200 head, only marginally less (-500 head) than the same month in the previous year, according to the latest data from Defra. A decrease in prime slaughter was recorded in England and Wales. Meanwhile, Northern Ireland...

16 Feb 2020

GB deadweight price leaps up early in the season on tight supply

The GB OSL liveweight SQQ lamb price continued its upward trajectory in the week ended 12 February, up 8.1p to 238.9p/kg. Throughput was also up again, rising 1% to 104,400 head possibly taking advantage of the current good prices. Cull ewe throughput dropped 4,800 head this w...

16 Feb 2020

Sheep meat production steady in January

UK sheep meat production for January stood at 24,200 tonnes, unchanged from the previous year according to data released by Defra. 1.04 million clean sheep were killed in January, 1% higher than the previous year but adult sheep throughput was down 10% to 127,500 head. Carcase...

16 Feb 2020

Young hill farmer fronts Welsh beef and lamb campaign

Young farmer Caryl Hughes is the face of a new £250,000 campaign promoting Welsh beef and lamb. North Wales hill farmer Ms Hughes is fronting the Hybu Cig Cymru (Meat Promotion Wales) campaign in response to recent criticism of the impact of agriculture on climate change. Adv...

16 Feb 2020

China lifts import ban on US poultry, related products

China announced Friday that it would lift restrictions on the import of poultry and related products from the United States, according to a statement jointly released by the General Administration of Customs and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. Based on risk asse...

16 Feb 2020

League of Gentlemen butchers closes after 100 years

It has been a local shop for generations of local people, but a butchers based in the town used by a legendary TV comedy is closing. J W Mettrick & Son has been a fixture in Hadfield – the town that doubled up as Royston Vasey in The League of Gentlemen – for m...

16 Feb 2020

Welsh butchers prepare for World championships in California

A team of talented Welsh butchers is stepping up training in preparation for the World Butchers’ Challenge in the United States later this year. Craft Butchery Team Wales will make their debut at the biennial competition, which will be contested by 16 countries from around t...

16 Feb 2020

China releases 14,000 tonnes of pork from state reserves

China on Friday released 14,000 tonnes of pork from its central reserves in a bid to ensure market supply amid efforts to fight the novel coronavirus outbreak, according to the Ministry of Commerce. This was the sixth time that the country tapped into its pork reserves this ye...

16 Feb 2020

EU lifting ban on import of chicken meat from Ukraine

The European Union lifted the ban on the import of poultry meat from Ukraine, supporting the decision on zoning the case of bird flu. The Deputy Minister of Economic Development, Trade and Agriculture Taras Kachka wrote about this on his page on Facebook. “We look forward t...

16 Feb 2020

Meat inspection petition with 216,000 signatures given to FSA

A union in the United Kingdom has submitted a petition on meat inspections, signed by more than 216,000 people, to the Food Standards Agency. Steve Nash, a consumer advisor on E. coli O157, Unison national officer Paul Bell, and Sean Humber, a lawyer at Leigh Day, delivered th...

16 Feb 2020

Darlington’s new auction mart celebrates opening with Beef Expo

TWO cattle competitions will take place at this year’s Beef Expo 2020 held near Darlington. For the first time the Burke Beef Trophy will be awarded to the best commercial pair. The award is widely seen as the pinnacle of UK cattle breeding and will be awarded to commerc...

15 Feb 2020

Coronavirus reroutes U.S. chicken shipments bound for China

CHICAGO, Feb 13 (Reuters) – Ships carrying refrigerated cargo containers of chicken from the United States to China are being diverted to ports in Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam due to the coronavirus outbreak, according to a U.S. poultry export trade group. ...

15 Feb 2020

Global lamb shortage helps UK prices rise £14 a head in 2020

Rocketing prime lamb prices suggest that the amount retailers are able to import is sharply down on last year, amid a global shortage of the meat. Some processors began offering deadweight prices in excess of 500p/kg this week, while the AHDB said the UK average SQQ liveweight...

13 Feb 2020

Kepak site to close amidst ‘challenging market conditions’

Kepak has issued a statement outlining it “regrets to announce that it will temporarily suspend operations” at its Co. Clare beef processing site. The statement from the meat processor explained: “Against a backdrop of challenging market conditions for the beef industry ...

13 Feb 2020

“German pork exports remain possible in case of ASF”

Germany has engaged in talks with China, to make sure exports of pork and pigmeat will remain possible in case African Swine Fever would be found in wild boar in Germany. At the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture, there have been talks with a Chinese delegation i...

13 Feb 2020

Edinburgh University students vote against beef ban on campus

Thousands of students at Edinburgh University have voted to reject proposals to ban beef in all student run catering outlets. The result comes after a motion to cease the sale of all beef products in Students’ Association cafes and restaurants was debated on January 30. The ...

13 Feb 2020

Farming Minister George Eustice promoted to top job at Defra after Villiers sacked

Long-serving Farming Minister George Eustice has been promoted to Defra Secretary after his former boss, Theresa Villiers, was given the sack. Mr Eustice’s appointment will provide some continuity for the department as it seeks to implement the radical changes proposed in th...

13 Feb 2020

Mad cow fright keeps EU cautious on food rules

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The specter of the 1990s BSE crisis means the European Union is likely to reject U.S. demands it ease strict food safety rules, even with President Donald Trump threatening car tariffs if EU countries do not start importing more U.S. farm products. W...

13 Feb 2020

EU pig prices slump as coronavirus slows China import demand

EU pig prices are continuing to fall and as import demand from China cools, due in part to the coronavirus crisis gripping the country. In the four weeks ending February 2, EU pig prices fell by over €10 (approx £8.40) to average €182.54/100kg (approx 153p/kg). AHDB analy...

13 Feb 2020

Pair guilty over illegal slaughterhouse and ‘smokies’

PEMBROKE Dock horror farm smallholder, Sean Ronald Burns, of Bramble Hall Farm, and an associate have been found guilty of charges relating to operating an illegal slaughterhouse on the edge of the town. A jury at Swansea Crown Court returned guilty verdicts on Burns and John...

12 Feb 2020

How would an ASF outbreak in Germany affect the EU pork market?

If African swine fever (ASF) crosses the border from Poland to reach German wild boar, the German export market of approximately 500,000 tonnes of pork would be at risk. EU prices could drop by 20-40%, although, according to a new AHDB report, the consequences of an outbreak f...

11 Feb 2020

Factory unreliability and coronavirus impact as SPP creeps up

Factory unreliability and uncertainty over the coronavirus outbreak are both affecting the pork market, according to Thames Valley Cambac’s latest pig marketing summary. A ‘not unsubstantial’ number of pigs had to be rolled into this trading week, as factory unreliabi...

11 Feb 2020

Anger over plans to demolish independent Oldham abattoir for housing

Plans to demolish a leading independent abattoir in the north of England have been met with resistance in the farming community. Owners of the site of Cowlishaw Abattoir in Royton, Oldham, which also includes several acres of agricultural land, have offered the plot to local p...

11 Feb 2020

AHDB clashes with BBC over ‘eat less meat’ claim

The AHDB has sent a letter to the BBC criticising its claim that the ‘the single biggest way’ to fight climate change is to eat less meat. AHDB’s chief executive Jane King sent the letter regarding the BBC News article ‘Climate change: Where we are in s...

11 Feb 2020

Tulip’s Bodmin site to remain open, as more than 100 jobs go

Tulip has confirmed that its site in Bodmin will remain open, although a total of 124 jobs have been lost as part of the recovery plan. In October, Tulip began a consultation on closing its ‘unsustainable’ Bodmin site, which it said would put the 270 jobs there at risk. ...

11 Feb 2020

Cranswick continues expansion with acquisition of Buckle pig business

Cranswick has continued its recent expansion, with the acquisition of the Buckle family’s pig farming and rearing operations, in Yorkshire. The deal includes the family’s 50% share of the White Rose Farms Limited pig production joint venture set up by Cranswick and the Buc...

11 Feb 2020

China’s coronavirus clampdown pushes pork prices toward record

11 Feb 2020

China coronavirus putting more pressure on pork supplies and prices

BEIJING/SHANGHAI (Reuters) – China’s coronavirus outbreak has delayed the launch of new pig breeding facilities and put even more pressure on pork supplies and prices, an official with the agriculture ministry told a briefing on Sunday. Kong Liang, deputy director at t...

10 Feb 2020

Appeal after sheep theft from Dorset field

Police are appealing for information after a flock of sheep was stolen from a field near Powerstock, Bridport. A total of 28 ewes were taken, according to officers from Dorset Police Rural Crime Team, who said the theft occurred some time between 7.30am on Thursday February 6...

10 Feb 2020

Swine fever spreading in Philippines

MANILA • The Philippines confirmed yesterday that African swine fever infections had spread in the south of the country, which accounts for nearly a third of the nation’s 12.8 million pig herd. Additional cases have also been identified in some northern provinces, said...

10 Feb 2020

Aldi commits to stocking new range of PGI Welsh Beef

Discount retailer Aldi has says it will stock a new range of PGI Welsh Beef products across more than 50 of its stores. Thirteen products, including roasting joints, diced beef, and fillet, ribeye and sirloin steaks, will be available across Wales from 12 February. The Farme...

08 Feb 2020

How coronavirus, ASF and the Chinese New Year are affecting the pig market in China

China’s coronavirus outbreak has had a limited impact on pork trade so far, but could create challenges in the market in future, according to AHDB analyst Bethan Wilkins. The outbreak has coincided with the Chinese New Year holiday period, which is already a quiet period for...

08 Feb 2020

Coronavirus hits Australian meat exporter

Australia’s largest meat-processing cooperative has been caught up in the coronavirus outbreak in China. The Northern Cooperative Meat Company (NCMC) in Casino in northern New South Wales has product stuck on the docks in China waiting for Chinese government and business...

08 Feb 2020

Meat and two veg revealed to be most popular meal among adults in Ireland

VEGANISM MIGHT be in vogue but, when it comes to cooking the evening meal, old habits die hard in Ireland. Figures produced by Bord Bia, the Irish Food Board, revealed the classic “meat and two veg” was the number one evening meal type eaten by adults in 2019, accounting ...

08 Feb 2020

UK beef farmers call for stronger labelling on packaging

Beef farmers have called for stronger measures to enforce better labelling and branding of products as the UK looks to strike Brexit trade deals. Any beef imports that enter the country as a result of Brexit trade deals must match the production standards of the UK’s, th...

07 Feb 2020

Tyson Foods sells U.S. pork to China, but misses quarterly sales expectations

CHICAGO (Reuters) – Tyson Foods Inc is shipping meat to China and has additional orders on the books as a fatal pig disease has created a pork shortage there, the company said on Thursday as it reported lower-than-expected quarterly sales. Shares fell 3% and hit their lo...

07 Feb 2020

Colombia aims to double meat exports after clearance on foot and mouth disease

BOGOTA, Feb 6 (Reuters) – Colombia will look to double its meat exports now it has regained its status as a country free of foot and mouth disease, President Ivan Duque said. Foot and mouth is a highly contagious viral disease found in animals and is one of the most seri...

07 Feb 2020

Greece reports first case of African swine fever

ATHENS (Reuters) – Greece detected its first case of African swine fever at a breeding farm in the north of the country this week, agriculture ministry officials said on Thursday. African swine fever is harmless to humans but it is highly contagious and deadly in pigs. I...

07 Feb 2020

Coronavirus disrupts China meat imports, food supply during pork shortage

CHICAGO (Reuters) – Coronavirus is disrupting meat shipments to China as the country faces a shortage due to an outbreak of a fatal pig disease, Tyson Foods Inc and U.S. agricultural groups said on Thursday. An outbreak of African swine fever, which infects only pigs, ha...

06 Feb 2020

Mexico sees bigger Chinese demand for its beef on coronavirus concerns

MEXICO CITY, Feb 6 (Reuters) – China’s appetite for Mexican steaks and other cuts of beef is expected to increase more than 40% this year, in part due to disruptions caused by the coronavirus outbreak, according to Mexico’s top cattle association. Chinese buy...

05 Feb 2020

Uproar as students vote to implement beef ban on campus

The University of Edinburgh Students Association is the latest body to join the anti-meat campaign following a bad-tempered meeting where agricultural students were denied a voice before being shown the door. The student body was discussing a motion ‘To cease the sale of all...

05 Feb 2020

Indonesian investigates deaths of hundreds of pigs in Bali

JAKARTA (Reuters) – Indonesian authorities are investigating the deaths of about 880 pigs on the island of Bali, the director of animal health at the Ministry of Agriculture said on Wednesday, to determine if they died of African swine fever (ASF). The pigs died between ...

05 Feb 2020

Chinese poultry farmers in coronavirus stricken province destroying birds

BEIJING, Feb 4 (Reuters) – Some poultry farmers in the province at the heart of China’s coronavirus outbreak are having to euthanise young birds as new rules to contain the disease have paralysed the transport of feed supply and live animals to slaughterhouses. The ban...

05 Feb 2020

Australian red meat industry shapes up to open doors in UK and EU post Brexit

The Australian red meat industry, under the leadership of the EU/UK Red Meat Market Access Taskforce, is maintaining high ambition for trade reform in both the European Union and the United Kingdom. As with other free trade agreements the Australian Government has negotiated t...

05 Feb 2020

Cancer charity in row with farmers after it launches ‘meat-free March’

Macmillan was forced to stop promoting the month-long fundraiser after widespread anger from the agricultural industry Farmers are in a row with a cancer charity after it asked its supporters to take part in “meat-free March”. Macmillan was forced to stop promoting...

05 Feb 2020

Cutting through the noise of the ‘eat less meat’ agenda

Liam Byrne is AHDB’s head of meat marketing Our third instalment of the £2.5 million ‘changing perceptions of pork’ consumer campaign is working hard to cut through the media noise of ‘eat less meat’ campaigns. The latest Love Pork TV advert is expected to be viewed...

05 Feb 2020

Members of EU Parliament to Discuss ‘Meat Tax’ to Tackle Climate Change

Members of the European Parliament will today be asked to consider a plan to increase the price of meat across the EU to reflect its CO2 costs. The plan is being put forward by the True Animal Protein Price Coalition, (TAPP), a Netherlands based coalition of health organisatio...

05 Feb 2020

China’s ‘perfect storm’ a boon to Brazil’s meat producers: ABPA

SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Brazil’s meat industry association ABPA said a “perfect storm” of health and food security concerns in China promises to drive up demand for South American meat, giving Brazilian meatpacker shares a boost on Monday. China reported a new outbre...

03 Feb 2020

New Zealand – Coronavirus threatens meat processing as cool stores fill with export product

China takes almost half New Zealand’s meat exports and that amounted to 402,586 tonnes of sheep meat and beef last year. Farmers are worried about the impact of the coronavirus after Silver Fern Farms talked of reducing meat processing because of cold storage shortages....

03 Feb 2020

EU considers ‘sustainability charge’ on meat prices to fight climate change

THE European Union could introduce a new tax on meat products to cut back on greenhouse emissions and climate change a week after Britain’s historic exit from the economic bloc. The European Parliament will discuss a proposal this week to introduce a levy that could see ...

02 Feb 2020

Philippines detects first African swine fever outbreak in southern province

MANILA (Reuters) – Blood samples taken from pigs in a southern province in the Philippines, the world’s 10th-largest pork consumer, tested positive for the African swine fever virus, the Department of Agriculture said on Sunday. It was the first reported case of Africa...

02 Feb 2020

Argentina Seeks to Expand Beef-Price Caps as Consumption Sinks

Argentina’s Production Ministry is looking to add more cuts of beef to a price-control system in a bid to make red meat more affordable amid rampant inflation, according to a ministerial official. Government and industry representatives are in talks over possible additions t...

02 Feb 2020

Meat-free fundraising slated by farmers

MANY farmers have been outraged this week by two major cancer charities asking for people to go meat-free for a month with a view to raising money for them. A social media storm has seen many from the industry – which has been a huge supporter of the charities, Macmillan and...

31 Jan 2020

Co-op pledges 60% cut in nitrite levels in bacon

The Co-op is to reduce the amount of nitrites used in its own-label British bacon range by 60%, in what it described as a first for major UK retailers. Nitrites, a type of preservative used to cure bacon, will be reduced by this level across 24 fresh, British Co-op lines – a...

31 Jan 2020

GB pig prices for week ending January 25, 2020 – SPP up for the first time in 2020

AHDB Pork’s weekly pig prices, slaughter data and commentary for Great Britain In the week ended January 25, the EU-spec SPP moved upwards (+0.23p). This increase pushes it about 24p higher than both the previous year and the 5-year average. The increase in price was particu...

31 Jan 2020

Burger King says it never promised Impossible Whoppers were vegan

(Reuters) – Burger King, saying it never billed its “Impossible Whoppers” as vegan or promised to cook them a particular way, said a proposed class action by a vegan customer over the plant-based patties being cooked on the same grills as meat burgers should be throw...

31 Jan 2020

Could mobile slaughterhouses fill small abattoir gaps?

Mobile abattoirs may help farms hit by the rapid loss of small abattoirs over the last few years. There are now fewer than 100 small abattoirs, those slaughtering fewer than 1,000 animals a year, according to the Sustainable Food Trust, with four closing in 2019 and another si...

31 Jan 2020

‘Next big thing for meat’: Aldi launches British Wagyu products

Aldi has started selling British-produced Wagyu beef burgers in what has been described as the ‘next big thing in the meat industry’. The product, hitting the retailer’s shelves from today (30 January), are produced from the Japanese Wagyu cattle breed, but b...

31 Jan 2020

NPA submits complaint to Ofcom over ‘How to Steal Pigs’

The National Pig Association has submitted a formal complaint to Ofcom regarding the Channel 4 programme ‘How to Steal Pigs and Influence People’. The group said that because of the programme, Channel 4 could be considered complicit in the theft of pigs. The NPA f...

31 Jan 2020

UK pork exports doubled in 2019 as African Swine Fever boosts demand

African Swine Fever in China is having a knock-on effect on the pork and other red meat sectors right across the world, including in Wales, according to market analysis by Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales (HCC). The impact of the pig virus has seen 50% of China’s pork...

31 Jan 2020

Spread of African swine fever confirmed in nine EU countries

The area of the European Union affected by the African swine fever (ASF) is “progressively expanding”, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) said in its latest update on the disease, published on Thursday (30 January). The report, which focuses on the period from Novem...

30 Jan 2020

UK and Australia partner this week in simulated ASF exercise

The UK and the New South Wales government in Australia is this week collaborate on a joint, simulated exercise to practice biosecurity measures in the event of an African swine fever outbreak. The joint exercise involving Defra, the Animal Plant and Health Agency (APHA) and th...

30 Jan 2020

NFU Mutual reports that livestock theft has risen by nearly 20 per cent

New figures released by rural insurer NFU Mutual reveal that farm animals worth £3m were stolen from UK farms in 2019. Large-scale sheep thefts over the past two years have contributed to a 19.4 per cent rise in value since 2017, making rustling the most costly crime for the ...

30 Jan 2020

China’s coronavirus could boost Brazil meat exports, CEOs say

SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Brazil’s largest meatpackers JBS SA and BRF SA said on Wednesday that the coronavirus outbreak could help boost Chinese demand for their products, as it fans concerns about domestic food safety in China. However, one executive told Reuters that sa...

30 Jan 2020

Plukon Food Group acquires Spanish poultry company VMR

European poultry firm Plukon Food Group has acquired a 100% stake in Spanish agricultural wholesaler Grupo de Gestión Empresarial Avícola VMR. VMR supplies chicken products to local retail, wholesale and food services markets under the Gallus Gallus brand. With nearly 550 em...

30 Jan 2020

Global Factors Shape Meat Market Outlook

30 Jan 2020

£500,000 Boost for Welsh Agricultural Infrastructure

Half a million pounds of new funding has been announced to support digital infrastructure investments by eligible livestock auction markets, collection centres and abattoirs in Wales. The funding, which will be made available to small and medium-sized businesses and administer...

29 Jan 2020

Politicians must tackle BBC’s pro-vegan bias, says NFU deputy president

NFU deputy president Guy Smith has said politicians who control the BBC’s licence fee must tackle pro-vegan bias at the broadcaster. The union leader warned vegans had been allowed to ‘hijack’ the climate change debate and distort the BBC’s reporting. Speaking at t...

29 Jan 2020

Major processor holds up progress on sheep splitting rule changes

A major processor has ‘broken ranks’ on the need to use a fixed cut-off date to age lambs, stalling progress on the rule change Defra was planning to introduce. Previously, all processors had supported farmers in wanting to end the process of ‘mouthing’, which is estim...

29 Jan 2020

France announces ban on piglet castration

France has announced a ban on piglet castration without anaesthesia, which is due to take effect at the end of 2021. Agriculture Minister Didier Guillaume has also announced a ban on the practice of live-shredding day-old male chicks. “From the end of 2021, nothing will be l...

29 Jan 2020

Beyond Meat is off the menu at Canada’s largest coffee chain

The big picture: The move could be a bad omen for the artificial meat industry, perhaps signaling that consumers aren’t as willing to let go of their animal-based diets as originally anticipated. If that’s the case, it would indicate that we are looking at more of a fad o...

28 Jan 2020

U.S. wants end to EU ban on ‘chlorinated chicken’ and hormone-treated beef

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The European Union needs to redress a $10-12 billion (£9.1 billion) imbalance in farm produce trade with the United States and adapt its food safety rules to reflect “sound science”, the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture said on Monday. Sonny Perdue...

28 Jan 2020

Brazil’s JBS to supply China with up to in $717 million deal with WH Group

BRASILIA, Jan 27 (Reuters) – Brazil meatpacker JBS SA said on Monday that it had signed a memorandum of understanding with Hong Kong’s WH Group to supply up to $717.26 million of fresh beef, poultry and pork per year to the Chinese market. The first shipments under the...

28 Jan 2020

Brexit’s lamb sell-off now underpinning prices for Welsh sheep farmers

A good year for grass, combined with a rush to beat the October Brexit deadline, resulted in a big rise in UK lamb output in 2019. Production levels of UK beef also increased, mainly due to a large rise in carcase weights. Latest data from Defra revealed a 6.4% increase UK s...

28 Jan 2020

Rustling gangs are stealing sheepdogs to help them with night-time animal raids, NFU warns

Rustling gangs are stealing sheep dogs to help them take up to 100 animals a night during lucrative raids, the National Farmers Union (NFU) has warned. Livestock worth £3million were stolen from UK farms last year, with large-scale sheep thefts fuelling the surge, according ...

28 Jan 2020

Vet visits compulsory in updated QMS assurance scheme rules

Scottish beef and lamb farmers in the Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) assurance scheme will now be required to have an annual visit from their vet after the levy board revealed an update to the rules. It has also become compulsory that the annual review of the animal health plan (...

28 Jan 2020

Abattoir output increasing despite increase in plant-based diets

British abattoirs are killing more animals for meat every year to supply the overseas market, despite the increasing popularity of plant-based lifestyles in the UK. Almost 28.8 million farm animals were killed for meat in 2019, marking an increase of 5.4 per cent in two years,...

27 Jan 2020

Global Ag View: Livestock bears brunt of Australian bush fires

Australia’s bush fires have had a devastating impact on the country’s agricultural output. No official figures on livestock losses have been released, but Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) have estimated nine per cent of the national cattle herd were in regions which hav...

27 Jan 2020

China to buy £39bn worth of agricultural products in US deal

The US and China have signed Phase One of an international trade-agreement worth $200 billion overall, with China now expected to purchase up to $50billion (£39 billion) worth of agricultural products on an annual-basis. After a two-year bitter trade-war wrangle between the t...

27 Jan 2020

Black market meat warning as thieves steal livestock worth £3m

Thieves have stolen livestock worth £3 million in the last year, with some animals butchered in farmers’ fields and the meat then sold on the black market. Large-scale sheep thefts, where rustlers steal between 50 and 100 animals in a single raid, have contributed to the sp...

27 Jan 2020

ABP Advanced Proteins buys John Pointon and Sons

A Staffordshire Moorlands business that employs hundreds of people has been sold – it was announced on Friday (January 24). John Pointon and Sons, an animal by-products and proteins business, has been purchased by Advanced Proteins – a by-product division of ABP &#...

27 Jan 2020

Haggis is growing in popularity, and not just in Scotland

LONDON (Reuters) – Carried high by the cook on a silver platter behind a kilted piper at formal dinners, the haggis is the essential dish for anyone celebrating the birthday of Scotland’s national poet, Robert Burns, on Saturday. Now the spicy meat is more popul...

27 Jan 2020

Major pig plants continued to cut kills

This week’s Slaughter Pig Marketing Summary, from Thames Valley Cambac, reported that the marketing week was very similar from a supply and demand point of view. Some of the majors continued to cut kills, but others were back to normal. Supply was steady, and average weights...

27 Jan 2020

U.S. pork producers well-equipped to supply China’s needs

FORT COLLINS, Colo. (Reuters) – China’s pork imports should surge to an all-time high in 2020 after African swine fever decimated its hog herd, and the United States is ready to take on the task as it also eyes a new export record. The United States closed out last yea...

27 Jan 2020

Livestock worth £3m stolen from UK farms in 2019

Large-scale sheep thefts over the past two years have contributed to a 19.4% rise in value since 2017, according to rural insurer NFU Mutual. This makes rustling the most costly crime for the UK’s farming sector after agricultural vehicle and machinery theft. As well as caus...

27 Jan 2020

Pork Quarterly Q1 2020: Opportunities Are Emerging from Risks

Rising disease pressures continue to challenge the global market and will remain the major change driver in global animal protein in 2020, according to Rabobank’s latest Pork Quarterly titled ‘Opportunities Are Emerging from Risks.’ “Although the severity of African sw...

27 Jan 2020

US beef position strengthens as China trade deal is unpacked

United States beef is emerging from recent trade negotiations with China in a far more lucrative position to supply the world’s number one beef importer as details from this month’s phase-one deal gradually unfold. However, there is still much that needs to fall in...

24 Jan 2020

GB pork sales suffering

Total GB pig meat sales fell by 4.5% in volume, compared to the year before, in the 12 weeks to December 29, which includes the key Christmas period. Total spend remained stable though, as average prices were up 4.5%. Primary fresh/frozen pork recorded particularly significant...

24 Jan 2020

GB pig prices for week ending January 18, 2020 – limited movement again in the SPP

AHDB Pork’s weekly pig prices, slaughter data and commentary for Great Britain The EU-spec SPP has recorded another marginal decline in the week January 18. The average price declined by 0.09p on the week. Prices typically fall early in the year; the five-year average declin...

24 Jan 2020

Booming market for EU pork exports

The increase in EU pork exports, seen throughout 2019, has continued. November shipments were up 54% on the year at 315,000 tonnes. This reflects escalating Chinese import demand towards the end of 2019. Shipments to China were over three times higher on the year while volume...

24 Jan 2020

Climate crisis: Farmers warn of danger of blaming UK livestock

Farmers have warned of the dangers of focusing on UK livestock production or ‘inappropriate’ tree planting as ways to tackle the climate crisis. Addressing the key findings in the latest Committee on Climate Change report, the Farmers’ Union of Wales warned ...

23 Jan 2020

China lifts 30-month age restriction on US beef imports

China and the US have signed an agreement whereby the Asian country will remove the 30-month age limit for beef it imports from the US. The ‘Phase 1′ Trade Agreement between the US and China – signed by Donald Trump last week – will also see China recognise the US’ b...

23 Jan 2020

EU suspends imports of Ukrainian poultry meat

KIEV (Reuters) – The European Union has suspended imports of Ukrainian poultry meat and related products after Kiev reported an outbreak of highly pathogenic bird flu, the state food safety and consumer protection service said on Thursday. The outbreak, the first such ou...

23 Jan 2020

Stillman’s (Somerset) Ltd denies five charges of breaching safety and hygiene laws

THE owners of a slaughter house on the edge of Taunton have been accused of five serious breaches of safety and hygiene laws. Stillman’s (Somerset) Ltd are contesting the charges relating to its operation at Staplegrove Mills, Staplegrove. The case was mentioned at Tau...

23 Jan 2020

Italy seizes 9.5 tonnes of Chinese pork to prevent African swine fever contagion

MILAN (Reuters) – Italy’s tax police seized and destroyed 9.5 tonnes of pork from China which was banned by the Health Ministry after African swine fever broke out in the Asian country, police in the northeastern city of Padoa said on Wednesday. The illegally-imported ...

23 Jan 2020

Germany and Poland discuss new action to prevent swine fever

HAMBURG (Reuters) – Germany and Poland are discussing new action to prevent the spread of the pig disease African swine fever (ASF) in wild boars in Poland close to the German border including border fences and increased hunting of the animals, Germany’s agriculture mi...

23 Jan 2020

Supermarket deal sees Simon Howie haggis sold across UK

Perthshire butcher Simon Howie is toasting the growing popularity of haggis across the UK as the company lands a six figure deal which will see company’s tradional dish on supermarket shelves in England and Wales. The contract with Tesco, worth £670,000, will see the firm�...

23 Jan 2020

Lab-grown meat producer Memphis Meats raises $161 million in funding led by SoftBank

(Reuters) – Lab-grown meat producer Memphis Meats said on Wednesday it raised $161 million in a funding round led by Japan’s SoftBank Group, Singapore’s wealth fund Temasek Holdings and Norwest Venture Partners. The company said the latest round took total funding t...

23 Jan 2020

The Hong Kong businessman behind Omnipork, is trying to convince a billion people to embrace a meat replacement.

For a guy in the food industry, David Yeung talks a lot about how gross food can be. Specifically, pork, the most popular meat in China. Industrial hogs are bred in harsh conditions—packed together in pens, sometimes eating contaminated garbage—and the 41-year-old Hong Kon...

23 Jan 2020

Boost in UK beef exports while imports drop

UK beef exports increased by nearly a quarter for the year ending November 2019 while imports plummeted, the latest figures show. The latest figures published by HMRC showed that in November, UK beef trade continued to follow the trends recorded for most of the year. UK beef e...

23 Jan 2020

Chinese beef importers seek to renegotiate prices for Brazilian shipments

SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Chinese beef importers are seeking to renegotiate prices previously agreed when they closed deals to buy dozens of shipments from Brazil because values are too high, according to a report in the online edition of a local newspaper on Monday. The web...

22 Jan 2020

Ugandan beef ‘will have honoured place’ in UK, PM says

Beef produced in Uganda will have an ‘honoured place’ on the UK’s supermarket shelves post-Brexit, Boris Johnson has said. The prime minister attempted to woo African leaders at the UK-Africa investment summit in London on Monday (20 January). He underlined t...

22 Jan 2020

Italy seizes 9.5 tonnes of Chinese pork to prevent African swine fever contagion

20 Jan 2020

China deal gives US beef an edge over NZ producers

A range of import restrictions affecting New Zealand beef exporters to China will be swept away for their American competitors as part of the new “phase one” US-China trade deal signed in Washington DC on Wednesday. However, US producers will continue to face tarif...

23 Dec 2019

China lifts ban on some Japanese beef imports amid meat shortages

China has lifted a ban on deboned beef from Japanese cows under 30 months old, the General Administration of Customs said in a notice, ending an almost two-decade long restriction on beef imports from the country. The decision comes as China faces severe meat shortages after a...

23 Dec 2019

The potential roads to recovery from African swine fever in China

African swine fever (ASF) is endemic in China. Nonetheless, many forecasts expect Chinese pork production to be on the way to recovery by the middle of the coming decade. As part of the EU medium-term outlook, the European Commission has produced two scenarios for China’s AS...

21 Dec 2019

Container with 50 beef carcasses stolen in Armagh

A refrigerated container with 50 beef carcasses has been stolen in County Armagh. The 40ft container was taken from premises in the Red Lion Road area of Loughgall at 01:00 GMT on Friday. The unit was recovered by Gardaí in Dundalk, County Louth. PSNI Insp Leslie Badger said ...

21 Dec 2019

China calls for revival in pork production after disease outbreak

Chinese authorities have called for a revival of pork production, state media outlet Xinhua reported on Saturday, after a disease outbreak that decimated the national pig herd. At an agricultural conference in Beijing, attended by President Xi Jinping, officials said it was ne...

06 Dec 2019

Farmers mount 12-hour Aldi blockade and warn of more beef price protests

Farmers who mounted a blockade of a major distribution centre for Aldi supermarkets in a protest at falling beef prices say it is the first of many such protests. The farmers who are members of the Irish Farmers’ Association drove a tractor and trailer across the entrance ...

06 Dec 2019

China must recover pig production, stabilize pork supply: vice premier

Chinese Vice Premier Hu Chunhua said the country must resolutely work to achieve the target of recovering pig production numbers, and stabilize pork supply for the upcoming holidays, the official Xinhua News Agency reported. China must ensure stable pork supply in key periods ...

28 Nov 2019

Meat is crucial for feeding the planet, and going vegan is not more green, say scientists

Meat is crucial for feeding the planet, leading scientists have said, as they warned it is not more environmentally-friendly to go vegan. Experts from the University of Edinburgh and Scotland’s Rural College said farmers were increasingly feeling demonised by the unsupported...

28 Nov 2019

Mutton making a comeback because it’s lost its ‘cheap’ image, say sheep farmers and butchers

Mutton is making a comeback because it has lost its “cheap and tough” image, farmers and butchers have said. Now, environmentally-conscious people are choosing to buy the older sheep meat, as butchers say lamb, mutton and hogget should be treated with as much reverence as ...

28 Nov 2019

Farmers and meat leaders slam TV film

Farm and red meat industry leaders have hit out at the national broadcaster’s programme – Meat: A Threat to our Planet? – which explored the impact of red meat production on the environment. Martin Morgan, executive manager of the Scottish Association of Meat Wholesalers...

28 Nov 2019

Ukrainian export loophole closed

The European Parliament is proposing measures to put an end to the wave of cheap Ukrainian chicken meat flooding the European market through a loophole. The country avoided tariffs by exporting a special bone-in cut of poultry meat. As a tradeoff, Ukraine is permitted to expor...

27 Nov 2019

UK farming unions respond to BBC meat documentary

The four UK farming union presidents have said that last night’s BBC documentary, Meat: a threat to our planet?, shows why food standards must be upheld in future trade deals. They said: “At no point did the documentary explain the vast differences between American meat ...

27 Nov 2019

Farmers start beef with BBC as meat documentary’s claims come under fire

It was meant to be a documentary exploring the impact our carnivorous ways was having on the planet. But the BBC’s ‘Meat: A Threat To Our Planet’ has become embroiled in a row with British farmers, who fear the show could damage their reputation. The show, headed up by ...

27 Nov 2019

Going whole hog: U.S. tells exporters to report pig carcass sales as China buying soars

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said on Monday that commodity exporters must disclose sales of hog carcasses, giving officials and traders more insight into a surge of Chinese pork buying that has roiled global meat markets. China’s pork imports have nearly doubled this y...

27 Nov 2019

Brazil Is the Big Beef Winner From China’s Hunt for Protein

China’s effort to fill a protein gap created by the spread of African swine fever is rippling through Brazil’s massive beef industry, pushing up prices and profits for both cattle ranchers and meatpackers. China’s effort to fill a protein gap created by the spread of Afr...

27 Nov 2019

‘Not enough pork in the world’ to deal with China’s demand for meat

The cost of living in China has outstripped the 3% government target for the first time in a decade, and a big part of the problem is the soaring price of pork, which is being driven up by a widespread outbreak of African swine fever (ASF). Pork is a big deal in China. The ave...

27 Nov 2019

Waitrose to sell only UK lamb, as they say it is important to ‘invest in British agriculture’

Waitrose is set to only sell British lamb as it phases out meat from New Zealand in order to “support UK agriculture.” The retailer used to supplement its lamb range with New Zealand products in the winter months, but is to stop doing so by 2021. Most of the superm...

27 Nov 2019

Lamb prices boosted by solid UK and international demand

Lamb prices have been boosted by solid UK and international demand, while beef prices are still significantly down on recent years, new figures show The average deadweight steer price in England and Wales now stands at 319.5p per kg, according to Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promot...

27 Nov 2019

China buying all Brazilian beef available; meat prices in Sao Paulo at record high

Chinese demand is increasingly swallowing up Brazil’s beef supply, pushing the country’s cattle prices to a record high. China’s hunger for foreign meat has shot up as an outbreak of African swine fever has reduced its domestic pig population and has sent it look...

27 Nov 2019

Brazil Is the Big Beef Winner From China’s Hunt for Protein

China’s effort to fill a protein gap created by the spread of African swine fever is rippling through Brazil’s massive beef industry, pushing up prices and profits for both cattle ranchers and meatpackers. While China has been increasing local poultry production and raisin...

25 Nov 2019

Going whole hog: U.S. tells exporters to report pig carcass sales as China buying soars

20 Nov 2019

China’s pork prices slump on higher supply, falling consumption

China’s pork prices fell sharply last week for the first time in 10 months, as reports of fresh disease outbreaks in the northeast led to more hogs being sent for slaughter just as consumers cut back on pricey meat, analysts said. Chinese pork prices hit record levels after ...

20 Nov 2019

Pork prices begin to fall

Pork prices in China have started to decline, and pork production will gradually be restored as supporting policies take effect, the agriculture minister said. The number of breeding sows began to rise last month, and the number of other pigs decreased at a much slower pace, s...

10 Nov 2019

BRF mulls acquisitions in Turkey to grow in-country production

BRF SA (BRFS3.SA), the world’s largest chicken exporter, said on Tuesday it would consider acquisitions in Turkey as part of a strategy to increase production there and remain a leading food supplier in the halal world. Patricio Rohner, vice president of international operat...

20 Aug 2019

China takes measures to stabilize pork prices

China has taken various measures to ensure pork supply and stabilize pork prices, an official said yesterday. Governments at all levels have put great emphasis on restoring hog production and have stepped up efforts to increase pork supply, said Liu Aihua, spokesperson for the...