Dear readers,
Some good things still happen in the pig industry:
- Western Smokehouse, a contract manufacturer for the likes of Chomps, Archer and Conagra Brands’ Fatty Smoked Meat Sticks, has grown more than 7-fold in the last five years. The increase determined Monogram Capital Partners to buy back the processor, after selling the majority of the business to AUA Private Equity in 2023. The Wall Street Journal, quoting an anonymous source close to the transaction, put the deal at some $500 million.
- Grupo Vall Companys of Spain announced its intention to acquire the Castilian-Leonese firm Agroalimentaria Chico, seeking approval to carry out the transaction. The company is comprised of three divisions: SAT Hermanos Chico , dedicated to livestock breeding since 1968 and with three farms of its own and another 124 integrated farms; Cárnicas Chico , specialized in the production of Duroc pork with brands such as Chico Duroc; and Chico Galindo , dedicated to processed meats such as cured ham.
- The German Müller Group increased the number of pig slaughters at its Ulm site by 11.6% in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period last year. This growth occurred in a region where pig farmers expect future slaughter shortages following the failed sale of the Vion slaughterhouse in Crailsheim to Tönnies
- Danish Crown has sold its factory in Pinghu, just outside Shanghai, to Chinese food giant COFCO, which has taken over the factory and its entire team.
- Danish Crown revised upwards the forecast for the slaughtering activity in Danmark. The original forecast for the 2025/26 fiscal year was 7.9 million pigs. It is now likely to reach 8.4 million, and possibly even 8.9 million — nearing Danish Crown’s total slaughter capacity of 9.4 million pigs.
Events calendar:
- HorecaHub is a highly specialized trade fair for the hospitality, hotel, and food industries, held annually at the Jockey Exhibition Center – a modern venue located in the heart of Lima, Peru. It will take place on 3 days from Thursday, 17. July to Saturday, 19. July 2025.
Whatever Will Be Will Be
Some of you may have the patience to follow the mood of Trump related to the tariffs. Things are changing almost daily. Some major pork importers are also included on the recently announced increases. In May, total U.S. pork exports totaled 224,162 tons, an 11% year-over-year decrease. Year-over-year growth was recorded in shipments to Mexico, Central America, Colombia, and Cuba , the latter reaching record levels. In contrast, sales to China, which are mostly offal, fell 82% . Can you guess the beneficiaries of the recently announced tariff increases ?
Meanwhile the European leader, Spain, imported more than 1.5 million piglets from the Netherlands between January and June 2025, a 27% increase compared to the same period in 2024. This is the highest volume recorded in the past decade. The number of Dutch piglets imported by Spain has grown from 114,111 head in 2016 to nearly 1.5 million in 2025. There has also been an increase in imports of slaughter pigs in the first half of 2025: 31,930 pigs were brought in, up 50.6% compared to the same period in 2024. The heat wave is certainly interrupting the flow, leaving a temporary exceeding amount of piglets on the market, combined with the constant struggle to supply the Serbian market, affected by different disease restrictions , African Swine Fever (ASF) just appeared on the area of the Croatian/Serbian border, on both sides.
German pig quotation will probably get stronger by beginning of August. Without this, even the basic price for piglets also decreased strongly, the mood for fattening in not really there…
The perspective for the corn price is foggy, a low production in the not well irrigated corn fields of Central Europe could put the profitability of the pig fattening sector under pressure.
On the other hand, the European Commission has allowed the use of genetically modified soy in food products and animal feed, a measure that could decrease the cost effect of this important element of the pig feed. This follows the scientific assessment by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). According to the Commission, GM soy went through a comprehensive and strict evaluation process ensuring a high level of protection for human health, animals, and the environment. The European Commission’s decision permits the import of GM soy for use in food products and animal feed, but not for cultivation within the EU territory. The approval is valid for 10 years, and any product made from this genetically modified soy is subject to strict EU rules on labeling and traceability. “The European Commission was legally obliged to make a decision on this matter after member states failed to reach enough votes either “for” or “against” the statement clarifies.
How will the market react? Whatever will be, will be!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRhtJtUDAZs&list=RDjRhtJtUDAZs&start_radio=1
