Dear readers,
The pig and piglet price evolution in Europe is almost totally negative, but we still find some good news for the swine industry:
- The European Parliament voted to prohibit the use of meat-related terms on the labels of plant-based and cultivated alt-meat products. Meat terms — like steak, sausage and burger —would be used only for animal-based products, barring their use on plant-based and cultivated meat labels.
- The European Parliament will negotiate with Member States new rules aimed at rebalancing power within the agri-food supply chain and strengthening farmers’ contractual position. The proposal, adopted with 532 votes in favor, 78 against and 25 abstentions, seeks to ensure fairer and more stable remuneration for the primary sector. In relation to the subject, the term “short supply chain” may only be used for EU products involving few intermediaries and limited handling or transport.Imported food must comply with the same maximum pesticide residue limits as those produced within the Union. In public procurement, Member States will have to prioritize agricultural and food products originating in the EU, particularly local and seasonal products and those with geographical indications.
- The Spain-China Trade and Investment Forum , held in Madrid, sought to promote bilateral cooperation and the internationalization of Spanish companies in strategic sectors. The meat sector signed collaboration agreements between companies and associations from both countries. These include Litera Meat, Costa Brava Mediterranean Foods, Matadero Frigorífico Avinyó, ElPozo Alimentación, RIVASAM Intercontinental, and Interporc, which represent a significant portion of the Spanish pork export market.
- A new Dutch procedure stipulates that loaded livestock transport vehicles must first be unloaded, after which an initial cleaning and disinfection takes place on-site. The vehicles must then be taken directly to an approved location, slaughterhouse, or assembly center for a second cleaning and disinfection. After this, the transporter must have a certificate completed and signed by the supervisor at the relevant location. This document must be submitted to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) within 24 hours of entering the Netherlands. With the current African Swine Fever situation all EU countries should consider similar measures!
- Chinese doctors have successfully performed the world’s first pig liver transplant into a living human. The pigs used were genetically modified beforehand, in order to suppress the recipient’s immune system to prevent rejection of the organ. The donor pig’s genetic material was altered in ten places before the transplant to prevent rejection reactions. According to the recently published scientific report, there were hardly any problems in the first few weeks. The organ even produced bile, indicating that it was functioning as intended. However, from day 31 onward, complications with the blood vessels arose, so the liver had to be removed again.
Events calendar:
- The Farmer Expo in Chișinău is a prestigious annual event held every October at the MoldExpo International Exhibition Center. The fair takes place on 4 days from Wednesday, 15.10.2025 to Saturday, 18.10.2025.
- Dutch Pork & Poultry Expo takes place in ‘s-Hertogenbosch on Wednesday, October 15th, and Thursday, October 16th. A symposium for pig farmers will begin at noon on the second day of the exhibition.
- Food Japan is a specialized trade fair for the food and beverage industry, as well as gastronomy, held at the Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre .The fair will take place on 3 days from Thursday, 16. October to Saturday, 18. October 2025.
- The China Agricultural Trade Fair (CATF) serves as a vibrant showcase for the diversity and innovation of Chinese agriculture. CATF China takes place on 3 days from Friday, 17.10.2025 to Sunday, 19.10.2025 in Guangzhou.
Get Over It
We, a farmers, are told that we need to accept lower prices for our pigs, because the pork is not competitive on the international markets. Competition is represented by the US and Brazil, mainly. First of all, neither of this competitors has the legal restrictions imposed by animal welfare and environmental rules at the level we need to comply in the EU. On the other hand, some other issues occur now.
Brazil’s Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (MAPA) is launching an initiative to reduce traceability and health inspections under government responsibility, by privatizing the sector. According to the professional syndicate, this would be detrimental to the industry, since in other exporting countries, such as the United States, these actions are essential and implemented by health authorities to protect the system from economic interests and thus prevent them from compromising public health. Trust of the importing countries would be lost , resulting in the loss of export markets.
Meanwhile, as a result of Trump’s policy and the shutdown of the US, the professional organizations of the agribusiness highlight how the loss of access to critical USDA functions like payments, technical assistance, inspections and grant programs disrupts farm operations and delays support for rural economies, endangering also the trust of the agriproduct importing countries.
The most important event of the food industry this year in Europe was the Anuga exhibition in Köln, Germany. After a period when the meat sector was under the pressure of the green party from the former German government, the sector was again the King of the fair, with 3 halls out of the 11 used for the exhibition.
I visited it and met old and new partners, relevant players of the European and world wide meat market. The beef and the poultry stands seemed to benefit from a higher interest, this year.
In 2024, a total of 226.8 million pigs have be slaughtered in European Union countries, with the highest number in Spain, at 53.4 million animals. Germany ranks second in terms of pig slaughter (44.9 million), France (22.1 million), and Poland (21.1 million). Spain was also the most representative exhibitor in the pork sector, with hundreds of small stands offering serrano tasting, while also the big players welcomed the guests in own stands. German and French pig industry did not give the feeling of the second and third largest player, while the Polish pig industry had a large number of exhibitors, even the country is largely depending on the Danish piglet imports.
Generally, the slaughterhouses are still complaining, even the actual pig prices are considered to high. Meanwhile, as some of us state, the actual slaughtering capacity of the EU is higher, than the pig numbers, the underutilization of the slaughtering capacity is the main reason of the losses in the slaughtering sector, combined with the lack of professional deboners.
Pork meat industry should work on plant efficiency and on understanding the consumer. Don’t always blame the farmer, get over it!
