Dear readers,

As always, in the holiday times we focus only on the good news from our industry:

• The U.S. National Pork Board is planning a new consumer brand campaign in 2025 in an effort to build on previous Pork Checkoff investment in Consumer Connect, a channel strategy tool to target varying market segments. As its stated: “Through tailored communication and focused marketing, the pork industry can address challenges like properly preparing pork in Millennial and Gen Z homes, concerns about food safety and shifting pork from a ‘special occasion’ protein to an everyday option”
• U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) delivered training to staff at Costco’s Mexican outlets to help Costco’s sales force to better understand how the store’s selections can meet not just household but commercial needs and guide professionals in the best preparation methods.
• Smithfield Foods U.S. has entered into an agreement with VisionAg, LLC, an affiliate of HD3 Farms, to establish VisionAg Hog Production, LLC.Under the partnership, Smithfield will retain a minority interest in the new company, which will assume ownership of 28,000 sows and their market hogs, with an annual production capacity of 600,000 hogs for Smithfield’s fresh pork operations. We get more and more news like this lately…
• Casanova Meats, a custom portioner of beef, poultry, pork and goat in West Babylon, N.Y., is doubling the capacity of its processing plant  with a $21M expansion, to better serve its New York City, Long Island and New Jersey customers.
• After four years of relentless effort, Australian meat exports to China have been fully restored, marking a major victory for farmers, processors and the industry.
• Cranswick U.K. was formed in 1975 by farmers in East Yorkshire to produce animal feed and has since evolved into a business that produces a range of high quality, predominantly fresh food, convenience, gourmet products and pet food. With the U.K. leaving the E.U. , the pig industry faced serious challenges and Cranswick shifted the supply structure: in the 6 months until September 30^th, the first half of the current financial year, Cranswick has increased its finished pig numbers by 18% compared to the same period last year to 34,000 pigs a week. ‘’We are now the country’s largest pig producer and well over 50% self-sufficient in pigs relative to our processing capacity. We will continue to invest in our pig farming operations to ensure that we can supply the right quality and quantity of pigs to meet the need of our strategic retail customers.”
• A new study using pigs shows that inhaled vaccines could potentially reduce viral transmission and improve vaccine efficiency, The Pirbright Institute reports: “Interest in administering vaccines mucosally, rather than by intramuscular injections, has been growing since the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic was declared in 2020.” Scientists from The Pirbright Institute and the University of Oxford used pigs as a model to explore immune system responses to mucosally-administered flu vaccines, which target viruses at the point of entry.
• K-State Kansas U.S. researchers have adapted the well-known PCR diagnostic method, familiar to many due to its use in COVID-19 testing, to detect ASF. By swabbing surfaces such as feed transportation equipment, trucks, and shipping containers, the team demonstrated how environmental sampling could identify virus presence. The study’s findings provide a crucial layer of biosecurity, offering a way to monitor potential ASF contamination before it reaches U.S. borders. K-State’s work, supported by the Cross-Border Threat Screening and Supply Chain Defense Center at Texas A&M University, represents a significant step forward in protecting the swine industry.
• The Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has published the resolution granting aid , worth 39,939,897 euros for tangible or intangible investments in the transformation, marketing and development of agricultural products , within the framework of the National Rural Development Program 2014-2020, to promote the integration of cooperative companies and other agri-food associative entities , of a supra-autonomous nature.

Marry Christmas to You and Your Beloved Ones!