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The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS) has released the “Small Enterprise Swine Operations in the United States 2007.”

A key strategic objective of the BPEX Road to Recovery 2006-2009 strategy is to rebuild industry confidence to invest in the future. In order that BPEX is able to assess its delivery of this objective an annual pig industry confidence survey has been established. Surveys were undertaken in January 2007, 2008 and 2009.

Sales in 2008 of U.S. purebred breeding swine in South China were brisk. Supply shortfalls, driven by increasing demand and decimation of animals due to an outbreak of blue ear disease in 2006, as well as governmental support of the swine industry to increase production and tap rural markets spell opportunities for U.S. breeders. Their supply of healthy, strong and productive U.S. purebred stock to China ensures top quality generations to come. This report examines production and market trends to uncover what the future holds for American hog breeders.

Decisions about how to handle animal diseases would move to an independent body under proposals announced for consultation by Environment Secretary Hilary Benn. Mr Benn said the proposals would see a new independent board established to make decisions about animal health policy and delivery, made up of members with knowledge, experience and skills in the livestock industry, animal health science and welfare and relevant public health, consumer and wildlife issues.

U.S. inventory of all hogs and pigs on March 1, 2009 was 65.4 million head. This was down 3 percent from March 1, 2008 and down 2 percent from December 1, 2008. Breeding inventory, at 6.01 million head, was down 3 percent from last year and down 1 percent from the previous quarter. Market hog inventory, at 59.4 million head, was down 3 percent from last year and down 2 percent from last quarter.

The Government of Canada is helping hog farmers by investing in an initiative to combat disease and provide stability for the sector. Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture Pierre Lemieux and MP Gary Schellenberger (Perth-Wellington) today announced a federal investment in the hog industry to develop and implement biosecurity best management practices, research projects and long-term disease risk management solutions.

The Raisio Feed company has accepted responsibility for the eruption of salmonella on farms in western Finland. On Wednesday, the Finnish Food Authority (Evira) blamed the Raisio Feed company outright for the recent eruption of salmonella on egg-producing and pig farms.

The 2007 data for zoonoses makes grim reading for this smallish country. In that year, there were 24,252 cases of capylobacteriosis, 17,910 cases of salmonellosis, 576 cases of yersiniosis and 51 of listeriosis, more per capita than any other EU country. However, carcase and meat contamination by salmonella is less than the European average of 10% with 5.8%.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the availability of revised guidance for industry concerning the use of veterinary feed directive drugs. The Guidance for Industry #120 has been revised to provide more detailed information on transmitting electronic veterinary feed directive (VFD) orders via the Internet.

The Honourable Helena Guergis, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and International Trade, signed, on behalf of Canada, a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Canada and the Republic of Peru. This was the second FTA signed by Canada in 2008 and Canada’s fourth FTA with countries of the Americas.

The veterinary agreement between EU and Canada, celebrating its 10th anniversary this month, is mainly to be credited for the substantial increase of trade of live animals and animal products. The total value of EU export trade (EU-15) to Canada for the main products covered by the agreement has increased by almost 90 % – from 69 million euros per year in 1998 to 131 million euros per year in 2008. Since the EU-Canada veterinary agreement entered into force in March 1999, the increases in the value of the export trade regarded primarily live animals (+139 %), meat (+183 %), dairy products (+90 %) and fish and crustaceans (+48 %).