World meat industry news

Harbin to host economic zone for China-Russia projects

  • 29 Dec 12:12

The Chinese city of Harbin will host a new economic zone that aims to support Sino-Russian cooperation, Xinhuareportedon Dec. 23. The zone, which will be called Harbin New Area, will be the country's first to focus on China-Russia cooperation, according to the report The zone will cover an area of 493 square kilometers and will also include three districts near Harbin. Harbin was founded asa center forRussia's Chinese Eastern Railway inthe early 20th century. It had a large ethnic Russian population till the early 1950s. An increasing number of businessmen from the Russian Far East are using the city as an entry point to. Read more...

Back to Basics at Belarus Seminar for Ross GP Specialists

  • 29 Dec 12:10

A seminar organized by Aviagen® for “Plemreproductor Broiler” of OAO “Agrocombinat Dzerzhinsky“, the Ross® grandparent (GP) customer in the Republic of Belarus, became a valuable learning source for its 15 participants. The two-day seminar which took place near Minsk combined theoretical and practical training for the attendees as well as visits to two GP farms for the participants - GP farm and hatchery managers alongside veterinarians. The underlying theme of the event was ‘Back to Basics’. Marcel Janssen, Regional Technical Manager for Eastern Europe and the CIS, talked about using the ’Back to Basics’ concept. Read more...

Latest Bluetongue Reports: More Outbreaks in France, Hungary

  • 28 Dec 12:08

Outbreaks of Bluetongue continue to be reported in Europe, with 22 new outbreaks reported in France and two in Hungary last week. The fifteen French outbreaks reported to the World Organisation for Animal Health on 14 December (see top image) were of serotype eight, and caused 17 cases in cattle. On 18 December, a further seven outbreaks were reported, affecting seven cattle (see map below). The cases were detected through the use of analytical surveillance. These cases left over three thousand cattle and over one thousand sheep on the affected farms susceptible to the disease. The outbreaks occurred in the central region of France. As of December 18,. Read more...

El Niño Lowers Early Production Outlook in Southern Africa

  • 28 Dec 12:07

Crop and livestock production prospects in Southern Africa have been weakened by the El Niño weather phenomenon that has lowered rains and increased temperatures. A reduced agricultural output would follow on last year's disappointing season, which has already contributed to higher food prices and "could acutely impact the food security situation in 2016," according to a special alert released on Tuesday by FAO's Global Information and Early Warning System (GIEWS). The season for planting maize in Southern Africa has already experienced delays, while crops sown stand to be negatively affected due to inadequate rains. Read more...

Income Per EU Agricultural Worker Down by 4.3 Per Cent

  • 25 Dec 15:25

Real agricultural income in the European Union (EU) has fallen by 6.0 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, while agricultural labour input has dropped by 1.8 per cent. As a result, real agricultural income per worker in the EU has decreased by 4.3 per cent in 2015, according to first estimates from Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. Across the EU Member States, real agricultural income per worker in 2015 is expected to have risen in thirteen Member States and fallen in fifteen compared with previous year, albeit in different proportions. The largest increase of real agricultural income per worker was in Croatia, with a rise of 21.5 per cent,. Read more...

Global Trade Ministers Move to End Agriculture Export Subsidies

  • 25 Dec 15:24

An agreement by World Trade Organisation (WTO) member states through the recently adopted "Nairobi Package" started a move towards eliminating export subsidies involving agricultural products. The UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) welcomed the agreement, however, it also noted that differences remain over other measures aimed at creating fairer global trading conditions, in particular for developing countries. A declaration issued on 19 December at the conclusion of the 10th WTO Ministerial Conference in Nairobi, Kenya includes a number of decisions in relation to the Agreement on Agriculture. In particular, four ministerial. Read more...

Drop in EU agricultural income in 2015

  • 24 Dec 07:20

The EU has published a medium-term Agricultural Outlook for the years up to 2025.The report suggests population and economic growth in developing countries are expected to support higher meat demand and contribute to higher EU meat exports. World meat consumption is expected to increase by 15 per cent between 2015 and 2025, less than in the previous decade, but still equivalent to a year's total meat production in the EU. Thanks to economic recovery and slightly lower prices, overall per capita meat consumption in the EU recovered by a staggering 1.8 kg in 2014. The rise is expected to pick up to 2016, to 67.6 kg (retail weight), before resumption of. Read more...

How much are Western sanctions hurting Russia's economy?

  • 24 Dec 07:17

The difficult economic conditions have forced Russian businesses to reassess, which could be a good thing in the long run. Sanctions hurt, but low oil prices hurt more. Source: Shutterstock / Legion-Media Sanctionsimposed by Western nationson Russia over its involvement in the Ukraine crisis and absorption of Crimea have hurt the country’s economy, but not mortally wounded it. The collapse of oil prices and the subsequent devaluation of the ruble have done far more damage. But faced with this double whammy, the Kremlin is in crisis mode and trying to stitch together a rescue package. In the long run, the current squeeze may end up being a boon for Russian. Read more...

What awaits Russia’s economy in 2016 – collapse or recovery?

  • 23 Dec 09:55

Analysts have reacted to the latest collapse of oil prices with varying forecasts. Some believe oil prices are on their way down to the critical level of $35, which would keep the Russian economy in recession. Others, however, including Western analysts, are of the opinion that 2016 may see the first shoots of recovery. The collapse of oil prices in December has divided officials and analysts into pessimists and optimists, with Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov predicting on Dec. 12 that the price of oil in 2016 will fall below $30 per barrel in some periods, according to the TASS news agency. According to Siluanov, demand and the price of oil will continue. Read more...

Russia looks to provide food security to Pacific Rim countries

  • 23 Dec 09:53

Moscow is keen to increase food exports to Asia-Pacific countries. Special economic zones in the Russian Far East could host joint agricultural projects. Grain harvesting in the Krasnoyarsk Territory. Source: Alexandr Kryazhev/RIA Novosti The Russian government has decided to significantly increase food exports to countries in the Pacific Rim. At the APEC-2015 Summit in Manila in November, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said that Russian companies would double their grain supplies to Asia-Pacific countries by 2020. “The increase of economic influence in the Pacific Rim region, particularly with the increase of agricultural exports, is. Read more...