Dear readers,
Some good news from the swine industry:
- The Spanish Prime Minister’s latest official trip to China enhances Spain’s status as a favored ally within the European Union .As other sectors across Europe struggle with trade disputes, both nations have formalized additional agreements that enhance market entry .China has approved the rise in imports of prepared and cooked pork .This will enable the Spanish sector to deliver a greater volume of highly processed goods, complementary to the frozen meat and by-products.
- The Philippines signed a bilateral agreement with Germany upon the recognition of the regionalization on African Swine Fever and lifting the ban on importation of pork meat from Germany. The document has immediate effect.
- Vion has announced that it has found two buyers for the cattle slaughter site in Waldkraiburg and the combined beef and pig slaughterhouse in Crailsheim, both initially already been sold to Tönnies, but the German antitrust authority blocked the sale last summer.The location in Crailsheim, where approximately 1 million pigs and just under 100.000 cattle are slaughtered annually, is being sold to Boeser Frischfleisch. The Waldkraiburg facility, with a capacity for over 160.000 cattle, is being transferred to OSI Europe Foodworks, a globally operating food group with experience in meat production. The German competition authorities still have to approve the deal. Presumably, this will cause fewer problems than with the already very dominant Tönnies.
- Pork is the most favored meat in Lithuania .Each person in Lithuania eats around 50 kilograms of pork each year, but it generates only around 45% of its total pork requirements .This represents one of the lowest levels of self-sufficiency within the European Union .In 2004, this figure was still at 78% .Biovela Group, which is the largest meat processing company in the Baltic region, is taking over UAB Idavang’s pig farming operations .Idavang is recognized as the biggest pig producer in the Baltic States, with around 480,000 pigs raised each year across twelve farms throughout the nation .The company’s revenue exceeds €80 million, also exporting to Poland and Latvia. Approximately 400 individuals are employed by the company. The Biovela Group is a prominent meat manufacturer in the Baltic region, with yearly sales surpassing €330 million. The yearly 85,000 tons of meat and meat-related products are obtained with over 1,800 employees.
Events calendar:
- FHA HoReCa, a trade fair for gastronomy and hospitality, takes place at the Singapore Expo. The event is held on 4 days from Tuesday, 21. April to Friday, 24. April 2026 .
- “Food Expo” an international trade fair for food and beverages, takes place at the International Exhibition Center in Kyiv, Ukraine. The exhibition will take place on 3 days from Wednesday, 22. April to Friday, 24. April 2026.
- Anuga Select China, a leading international trade fair for food and beverages, takes place at the impressive Shenzhen Exhibition & Convention Center—one of the largest and most advanced exhibition venues in the world. It is organized by Koelnmesse Co. on 3 days from Monday, 27. April to Wednesday, 29. April 2026.
Such a shame
Of course, not everything is fine in this industry.
As reported by RVO statistics, pig processing in the Netherlands dropped to its lowest point since 2009 during the initial quarter of 2026: roughly 3.73 million pigs were processed during the first 14 weeks of the calendar year, a decline of approximately 300,000 pigs compared to the equivalent period in the previous year, a reduction of 7.4 percent .In recent years, slaughter facilities had also handled pigs that were previously sent abroad for slaughter. While roughly 930,000 pigs meant for slaughter were exported in the first quarter of 2016, that number has dropped to approximately 100,000 in the first quarter of 2026.
In the Dutch city of Gröningen the local council agreed to the expropriation of the Van der Veen family farm in Lucaswolde, due to the new nitrogen regulation. The BoerBurgerBeweging (BBB, Farmer-Citizen Movement) party was voted by farmers based on the promises that something like this will not happen. Two council members didn’t show up at the voting, both dairy cattle farmers…
Dutch farmers will be able to submit applications under the “Subsidy Program for the Extensification of Dairy Cattle Farming” from June 1 to July 29, 2026. As a result of its implementation, dairy farmers will keep 10-20% fewer cows. “The annual compensation for lost income will be determined based on the milk yield of an average cow and transaction costs and is expected to amount to €1,606 per cow . Furthermore, farmers will relinquish part of their phosphate rights, for which they will be entitled to an additional €110 compensation. Phosphate rights will permanently disappear from the market”.
When the external temperature rises above 30 degrees Celsius, the transport of animals in the Netherlands will be prohibited starting April 1, 2027 .One exception exists: animal transportation is allowed if it is feasible to maintain the internal temperature of the vehicle below this threshold through temperature-regulated transport .The State Secretary from Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature mentions this in a letter addressed to Parliament .The creation of an Authority for Animal-Friendly Livestock Farming to oversee the progress is included in the coalition agreement.
In the neighboring Germany the process of closing pig farms based on environmental regulations started earlier. Last week had to add also financial reasons. A group of farms, comprising 5 locations and over 30,000 pigs filed for insolvency, due to price pressure and trade conflicts. The cost of production was covered on a rate of only 60% in the first two months of 2026. The 4.000 sow farm operation is on of the most modern in Germany and holds all the permits, so it will find a buyer/investor.
In the meantime, the Iran war generates disruption and increasing prices on the fertilizer market, so what was once managed as waste is now an economic asset. According to data from Spain’s CITA (the Aragonese Center for Agricultural Research), the agronomic value of pig slurry ranges from €5 to €7 per cubic meter, with management costs of just €2.50. An average pig farm with 4,000 pigs can currently generate a net profit of €31,500 annually by valorizing these resources.
Last week I had the honor to be one of the persons to meet and speak with the jury that came to judge the application of Romania’s Banat region for the title of European Region of Gastronomy in 2028, a competition organized by International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism. Banat region nowadays is divided by the borders of three countries: Romania, Serbia and Hungary and is a multicultural region, with over 18 ethnic groups. The organizers intend to invite also the neighboring countries to be represented on the events. In my discussion with the members of the jury I talked about the culinary differences of the many ethnic groups and also about the practice of keeping pigs (also regional breeds) and about the traditional preparation of pork, especially in the Christmas period. The attacks from the loud minority of the vegans against eating meat also came up.
Dear readers, the voice of this loud minorities is strong just until we don’t speak up! Please be more active in protecting our industry, at least give a modest support with a “like” and/or “share” for those who do this on the social media, for instance.
Raising pigs, preparing and eating pork in not such a shame!
