• News and Updates

  • Netherlands poultry ban lifted
    November 25, 2011

    THE AGRICULTURE department has lifted the ban on the entry of birds and poultry products from a province in the Netherlands following a report given to the World Organization for Animal Health or Office International des Epizooties (OIE) stating that the area is now free from the avian influenza or bird flu virus.In Memorandum Order No. 25, dated Nov. 14 but posted on the Agriculture department’s Web site yesterday, Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala said he has ordered the lifting of... Read more
  • Philippines: Pork shortage may be a reality during the festive season
    November 23, 2011

    Since the Philippine government has made no attempt to issue permits to import pork parts and chicken leg quarters, there could be a pork and chicken shortage this festive season in the country, according to meat processors.It has been reported that since 3 November this year, not all import clearances for pork and chicken have been released.  The issue was taken up at the Department of Agriculture (DA) by Francisco Buencamino, executive director of Philippine Association of Meat Processors... Read more
  • Global Beef Production Remains Stable
    November 10, 2011

    World beef production is set to remain stable throughout 2012, with production estimated to be 56.8 million tonnes cwt.A decline in US beef production is expected to be offset by higher production from India, Brazil, Argentina and Australia. In Paraguay, it has been discovered that a botched vaccine was responsible for transmitting foot and mouth disease. Following the outbreak over a thousand animals were culled.The outbreak caused neighbouring countries to ban Paraguayan imports - which o... Read more
  • Corn, soybean harvest winding down
    November 09, 2011

    Corn harvest has reached 87 percent in the top 18 producing states according the USDA’s latest Crop Progress report. Though Monday’s report showed corn harvest well above the five-year average, it still lags significantly from last year’s report. The end nears for corn harvestCorn harvest is proceeding faster than the five-year average of 73 percent but remains behind 2010’s pace of 95 percent. Nearly two-thirds of the states are within 10 percentage poin... Read more
  • Germany kills hundreds of pigs as dioxin troubles spread
    January 14, 2011

    German authorities ordered hundreds of pigs slaughtered after tests at one farm showed the animals had elevated levels of dioxin in their systems. This is the first instance of evidence that the contamination has spread beyond poultry and eggs, according to authorities, who had already halted pork sales as a precaution when the contamination was first discovered. "We were specifically investigating this farm because they had bought their livestock feed from Harles & Jentz... Read more
  • German pork and poultry banned by Korea – dioxin cited
    January 11, 2011

    There are no longer imports of pork and poultry from Germany to Korea. The Korean government has banned imports from Germany, citing high levels of cancer causing dioxin in animal feed as the reason for the ban.Korean officials have stated that German meat products are currently quarantined, until further inspections are carried out.GMP+ International has suspended the GMP+ certificate of the business Harles und Jentzsch GmbH in Uetersen in Germany as of January 6, 2011.  Abnormally high le... Read more
  • Avian Influenza in South Korea spreading across the country
    January 11, 2011

    Korea has confirmed its first bird flu outbreak in the Gyeonggi region near Seoul making it the first case to be reported in the province surrounding the capital city in nearly three years.The farm ministry said a duck farm in Anseong, 77 kilometers south of Seoul, tested positive for the virulent strain of the H5N1 avian influenza after birds started dying off over the weekend. Concerns are now being raised that the highly contagious disease is spreading across the country despite quarantine ef... Read more
  • The Phillipines eyes poultry growth target
    January 04, 2011

    The Phillipine government expects the value of poultry production to hit or even exceed the official growth target of 2% for 2010, with the first three quarters already recording a 3% increase before the seasonal boost in the last three months of the year."Given the growth of [local poultry production] in the nine months [that ended in September] and a surge in demand for the product in the fourth quarter because of the holiday season, we expect it to register a two per cent growth or even ... Read more
  • South Korea suffers bird flu outbreak
    January 04, 2011

    South Korea suffers bird flu outbreakWorldPoultry.net  South Korea has confirmed the first outbreak of bird flu since May 2008 and more than 100,000 birds have been slaughtered as authorities try to contain its spread.Health authorities have stepped up inspections of wild birds and urged poultry businesses to take extra precautions such as erecting nets around their farms to keep wild birds out.South Korea has been hit by avian influenza three times, with the last outbreak in April 2008.Mea... Read more
  • Russia: Pork exports may climb to 60 times more
    July 16, 2010

    According to the Agriculture Minister of Russia Yelena Skrynnik, the country may see its exports of pork and poultry sky-rocket to 60 times more by the year 2020.Russia is aiming to become less dependent on meat imports from other countries.Increase in pork exports"We're keeping pace with the times and the technological process. By our estimates, export volumes could be up to 400,000 tonnes of poultry and 200,000 tonnes of pork. That's $1.5 billion to $2 billion a year," she sa... Read more
  • Philippine Hog output expected to drop
    July 13, 2010

    from: Business World        http://www.bworldonline.com/main/content.php?id=14114&src=2LOCAL HOG production is expected to dip by 3% this year due to the lingering impact of damage to commercial and backyard farms caused by storms that hit late last year, an industry leader said yesterday.The government, on the other hand, expects at least 1% growth this year, citing the recovery of some backyard farms from storm damage."We are expecting a shortfall in productio... Read more
  • Philippine Gov’t bans imports of pork, poultry from S. Korea & Taiwan
    February 16, 2010

    from: Business World http://www.bworldonline.com/main/content.php?id=6281&src=2   THE GOVERNMENT has banned importation of pork from South Korea, as well as poultry and live birds from the same country and Taiwan, an Agriculture official said over the weekend. Davinio P. Catbagan, director of the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), said in a phone interview that the ban on pork, poultry products and live birds from South Korea was issued last Jan. 5, while the one on poultry... Read more
  • Philippine government bans German poultry
    December 18, 2009

    As a result of an outbreak of low pathogenic avian influenza, the government of the Philippines has temporarily banned imports of live birds and poultry products from Germany, as well as fromt the village of Saint Aubin du Plain in France. The directive said the ban covers domestic and wild birds, poultry meat, day-old chicks, eggs and semen from the two areas. On 16 November, France reported an outbreak in a duck farm in St. Aubin du Plain. The same influenza strain was detected in a ... Read more
  • Philippines: Lower demand, lower processing
    December 18, 2009

    WorldPoultry.nethttp://www.worldpoultry.net/news/philippines-lower-demand-less-processing-4660.htmlThe Philippine meat processing industry expects its 2009 production volume to drop by 20% from 2008, reports Asian Agribusiness Group.While volume is down, higher prices will still mean a growth in sales, albeit a small one at less that 10%, said Francisco Buencamino, Executive Director of the Philippine Association of Meat Processors Inc (PAMPI).PAMPI had earlier aimed for an 8-10% increase in sal... Read more
  • H1N1 flu found in South Korean pigs
    December 18, 2009

    from: PigProgress.net  South Korea confirmed that pigs infected with H1N1 flu have been found at domestic farms. Infections were confirmed at five pig farms in Gyeonggi and North Gyeongsang provinces, the agriculture ministry said. 'For the first time we confirmed the presence of H1N1 flu in locally-raised pigs. We have... restricted movement of pigs in the areas,' a ministry spokesman told AFP. The ministry has also found infections of the (A)H1N1 virus among pi... Read more
  • Canada bans four U.S. meat plants
    December 15, 2009

     MeatingPlace.comBy Tom Johnston on 12/15/2009  Canada has banned imports from four U.S. meat plants, USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service said. The agency has yet to offer details. Most recently Canada barred Tip Top Poultry Inc.'s Rockmart, Ga., processing facility. The suspension took effect Dec. 10. Earlier, Canada de-listed Cook's Ham Inc.'s Lincoln, Neb., plant; Schwan's Global Supply Chain's Salina, Kan., plant; and Fresh Mar... Read more
  • RP lifts ban on US meat, bone meal
    November 18, 2009

    By Riza T. OlchondraPhilippine Daily InquirerFirst Posted 06:24:00 11/18/2009http://business.inquirer.net/money/breakingnews/view/20091118-236943/RP-lifts-ban-on-US-meat-bone-meal MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture (D.A.) has lifted a ban on meat and bone meal imports from the US, saying the latter has a lessened risk of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy or mad cow disease incidence. Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap said in a statement that the World Animal Healt... Read more
  • RP imports additional pork and poultry for Christmas
    October 09, 2009

    from: Business Worldhttp://www.bworldonline.com/BW100909/content.php?id=051&src=2   PORK AND POULTRY meat imports will arrive in the country starting mid-November until mid-December, the Agriculture chief said yesterday. The additional imports are expected to augment stocks in preparation for the increase in demand during the holiday season.  "Our pork import volume, which is initially 20,000 metric tons, will come in Nov. 15 to Dec. 15," Agricultur... Read more
  • Philippines to import 20,000 tons of pork to avert shortage
    September 30, 2009

    From: Business World Onlinehttp://www.bworldonline.com/BW093009/content.php?id=051&src=2  AN EXPECTED tight supply of pork in the coming holiday season amid low production has prompted the government, private traders and even hog raisers to agree to import an additional 20,000 metric tons (MT) this year. A vendor cuts pork meat in a public market in Metro Manila in this file photo. — BW File PhotoThis, after consultations with hog farmers who admitted a supply gap ... Read more
  • Phil. DA lifts ban on poultry imports from Germany and Japan
    September 01, 2009

    The Department of Agriculture (DA) has lifted the ban on all imports of domestic and wild birds along with poultry and its products from Germany and Japan, following reports that the 2 countries are free from the avian influenza (AI) virus. Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap issued the order after an evaluation done by the DA's Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), which showed that "the risk of contamination from importing poultry and poultry products from Germany and Japan is already n... Read more