Dear readers,
We share only good news from our industry in the holiday period:
- Scientists from the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil declared the arrival of the nation’s initial cloned household pig. As per the findings, the piglet was born in good health, with a weight of 2. 5 kilograms, at the research lab located in Piracicaba. This endeavor is part of a program from the USP Science Center for Development in Xenotransplantation, which primarily aims to create methods for producing organs for transplants in humans.
- The Compaxo Group plans to purchase Pigarné, a facility for processing and slaughtering piglets located in Lichtenvoorde, the Netherlands. Through this purchase, the Compaxo Group seeks to broaden its portfolio of products and advance its integration throughout the value chain. Pigarné, situated in Lichtenvoorde, specializes in the slaughtering of piglets that are deemed not fit for the fattening stage. In the previous year, Vaex The Livestock Traders took over all the shares, thus becoming the sole owner of Pigarné. Pigarné primarily exports its piglet meat, which includes entire carcasses, various cuts, and processed pork products. Significant markets for this meat include Southern Europe and Asia, where it is shipped in large freezer containers as well as on individual pallets. The piglet meat is deemed a delicacy in these regions. At the same time, Pigarné aims to offer tender piglet meat to consumers in the Netherlands. Compaxo operates as a family-owned enterprise entirely, featuring a notable history, and currently has four facilities across the Netherlands, which consist of one slaughterhouse located in Zevenaar and three meat processing plants situated in Gouda, Belfeld, and Almere. The company generates an annual revenue of approximately 650 million euros, accomplished through a workforce of around 1,500 employees.
- Over the last three years, there has been an increase in the consumption of meat and sausages among German consumers. Preliminary data from the Federal Information Centre for Agriculture (BZL) indicates that in 2025, the average meat consumption per person reached 54. 9 kilograms, which reflects a rise of 1. 4 kilograms from the previous year. Although Germany has maintained a high self-sufficiency rate of about 115 percent, it still relies on meat imports. With the increase in meat consumption in 2025, meat and offal imports rose by nearly eleven percent, totaling 3. 6 million tons. Pork is without a doubt the most widely consumed meat in Germany. Averaging 28. 3 kilograms per individual, this meat type constitutes almost 52 percent of the total per capita meat consumption. While self-sufficiency for pork is the highest at nearly 139 percent, this statistic refers only to the whole carcass: for preferred cuts like tenderloin, ham, or chops, the self-sufficiency level drops to roughly 80 percent. This factor contributes to the ongoing significance of imports, even in light of robust domestic production. I point out this issue in my presentation, when talking about the Romanian market, for instance.
- A novel variety of African swine fever (ASF) virus has been detected in Barcelona and categorized into a new genetic cluster, numbered 29. Researchers have indicated that this variant is markedly different from previously recognized strains and may suggest an extensive, unnoticed development of the virus within Europe.
Studies involving scientists from INRAE, Anses, and various other European organizations demonstrate that the strain identified in Barcelona (Sp25) is part of genotype II, which is the prevalent genotype in the ongoing global epizootic. Nevertheless, due to its distinctive genetic features, it has been assigned to a new genetic group. An analysis of the genome has uncovered a considerable deletion of around 10,000 base pairs, in addition to over 20 single nucleotide variations when compared with the “baseline” Georgia 2007 strain. Researchers believe that these alterations could have built up over a span of 10 to 15 years, indicating an extended period of viral evolution that went unnoticed by monitoring systems. An important discovery in understanding the virus!
Events calendar:
- FABEX, also known as “The World Food and Beverage Great Expo“, is a pivotal event in the global food and beverage industry, organized by Koelnmesse Co annually at the prestigious Tokyo Big Sight in Tokyo, Japan. FABEX will take place on 3 days from Wednesday, 15. April to Friday, 17. April 2026.
- The “Philippine Food Expo” (PFE) is a leading trade fair for the Philippine food and beverage industry. It serves as a central platform for producers, traders, and investors to showcase and discuss innovations, trends, and market opportunities in the agricultural and food sectors. The expo takes place at the World Trade Center Metro Manila on 3 days from Friday, 17.04.2026 to Sunday, 19.04.2026.
I publish weekly articles about the pig industry for over 6 years. While there is also a regular comment section, a few times a year I keep only the good news: Christmas, New Year and the Ester holidays.
Happy Easter to those celebrating now!
