Dear readers,
Some positive events from the pig industry, before the Easter break:
- Pilgrim’s Europe has introduced a new Centre of Excellence for Pork at its Bromborough location, a project that involved a £350,000 investment aimed at enhancing product development and speeding up innovation within its pork sector. The center features a kitchen created to facilitate effective, high-quality product creation for customers. It also comes equipped with specialized tools, including an indoor charcoal BBQ . A customer paneling area provides Pilgrim’s Europe with the ability to conduct product tastings, innovation meetings, and joint workshops with retail and foodservice partners, guiding attendees through the journey of creating new products from initial concept to final kitchen presentation. The center will prioritize the creation of pork and value-added pork items, especially in significant growth areas like BBQ and ready-to-cook product lines.
- The Dutch House of Representatives is urging the government to create a legal framework to address price reductions on essential agricultural goods, particularly meat. Nevertheless, it is important to allow discounts on food products that are nearing their expiration date. A proposal containing this request from the Party for the Animals along with the Christian Union received majority support. The House of Representatives already requested a legal framework to tackle price reductions on essential agricultural goods in 2022, but this proposal was not put into action. At last ! This kind of reductions asked by the retail are forcing slaughterhouses to battle with the farmers.
- The Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI) of the European Parliament has passed a resolution designed to enhance livestock production within the European Union. The non-binding resolution received approval through 40 votes in favor and eight opposed, with no members abstaining. A full assembly vote is anticipated for April, and the European Commission intends to unveil its livestock strategy during June or July.The resolution specifies a range of initiatives aimed at stabilizing and advancing the industry. One of the principal requests is to secure the budget for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) to ensure that livestock producers continue to receive financial assistance at current levels. Another focal point is the enhancement of the global marketing of EU animal products. Legislators insist on implementing clearer labeling practices and reinforcing the protection of geographical indications. Furthermore, the resolution emphasizes the necessity for improved coordination within the EU regarding vaccination policies, early warning systems, and data sharing. Suggested initiatives include establishing a centralized vaccination database and creating compensation programs for farmers impacted by disease outbreaks.
Events calendar:
- ANUGA Select Brazil is an international trade fair for food and beverages and ranks among the leading business platforms for the food and drink industry in South America, held at the Centro de Convenções – Distrito Anhembi in São Paulo. The fair will take place on 3 days from Tuesday, 07. April to Thursday, 09. April 2026.
- The VIETNAM EXPO is an annual international fair that has been promoting trade and industry in Vietnam. It takes place in Hanoi on 4 days from Wed., 08.04.2026 to Sat., 11.04.2026 in Hanoi.
- The agra Leipzig ranks among the most important agricultural exhibitions in Germany and attracts a diverse audience, including farmers, service providers, technicians, suppliers, manufacturers, and processors,. The agra will take place on 4 days from Thursday, 09. April to Sunday, 12. April 2026.
Talk
The organizers issued their initial formal evaluation of an event that commemorated the 50th anniversary of Alimentaria.
Throughout the four-day event, the trade show attracted 109,600 industry professionals(I was one of them), an increase from roughly 108,000 in the last edition. Of these attendees, 25% were from abroad, from 120 nations. Buyers and industry representatives were drawn to the event due to the diverse range of offerings showcased by over 3,300 companies, 1,200 of which were from 70 different countries. The count of international companies participating saw a 30% growth compared to the last edition, accompanied by a 40% rise in the exhibition space allocated for international entities. From my side, three comments:
- As promised, I did taste the Schara sausages.
- Almost no Chinese visitors in the fair, mainly explained with the logistic disruptions caused by the Iranian war.
- Very few East-European exhibitors in the meat section, except Poland. The rest are sitting home and complaining about the unfair competition…
The Danish Pig Producers Association has proposed a phase-out program for pig farmers to the government. This proposal followed a heated election campaign in which pig production in Denmark was subjected to political and social pressure. In the run-up to the Danish parliamentary elections, a broad alliance of several environmental and animal welfare organizations formed, demanding the restructuring of pig farming and a reduction in environmental impact. The “green left” did not win, but became the second largest party in the Parliament. Will “Danish Crown” loose its crown?!
The largest percentage decrease in the pig population in 2025 took place in the Netherlands, the neighboring kingdom. The number of pigs decreased by 7.6 percent compared to 2024, meanwhile the number of sows in the Netherlands decreased by 7.1 percent.
In a 350-page report, the European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change, the EU’s scientificadvisers argue in a set of far-reaching recommendations that Europeans should eat less meat and farms must be taxedfor their planet-warming pollution if the bloc is to reach its climate goals, recommendations unlikely to get a warm welcome from farmers.
The Board also calls on the EU to scrap farm subsidies for climate-damaging practices, arguing sweeping measures are necessary to reduce agriculture’s contribution to global warming. To aid farmers, they propose scaling up financial support to help them transition toward greener alternatives as well as aid to cope with increasing droughts and climate disasters.
A Committee and an Advisory Board issue two opposite recommendations. Both institutions are located in Brussels. Guys, you should talk!
