By Chris McCullough In an idyllic region of southern Spain seemingly unaffected as yet by climate change, a special breed of pigs roam the open countryside producing one of the world’s most famous meats. These are Iberian pigs which are renowned for their outdoor lifestyles munching through hundreds of acorns that gives their special Jamon Iberico de Bellota its intense flavour. Not only is this meat tasty, it brings with it some health properties due to its beneficial fat content, and it is protected under quality regulations. The ham’s high proportion of oleic acid, around 63%, is a mono-un ..read more

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has launched an action-oriented, country-focused initiative to reduce the need for antimicrobials on farms. It comes amid the growing threat posed by antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the food and agriculture sector, impacting animal health, plants and the environment and causing significant economic losses to farmers across the globe. FAO director-general QU Dongyu said: “The persistent use of antimicrobials in livestock production is concerning for human health, animal welfare, and environmental sustainability. “We must explo ..read more

Authorities in the US have confirmed viral fragments of avian influenza – or bird flu – in one-in-five samples of commercial milk. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said that it had received some initial results from its nationally-representative commercial milk sampling supply. It had confirmed last week that it was carrying out this sampling after confirming the presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in some pasteurised milk samples, which came after the virus was confirmed in dairy cattle on some farms. Initial results from this testing show that around 20% of the 297 sa ..read more

To protect the US livestock industry from the threat posed by highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza (bird flu), the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has issued a federal order to make it mandatory to test dairy cows before interstate transfer. Last month, USDA confirmed that bird flu had been detected in sick cattle on two dairy farms. Unpasteurised, clinical samples of milk from sick cattle collected from two dairy farms in Kansas and one in Texas, as well as an oropharyngeal swab from another dairy in Texas, tested positive for the strain of bird flu. Then this week, the ..read more

The number of cattle slaughtered in Ireland rose by 1.7% in the first quarter of this year when compared with corresponding figures for 2023 according to latest figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO). Cattle slaughterings from January to March were estimated to be more than 483,000 head – a jump of more than 8,000 head compared to the same period in 2023. But while there was an increase in the number of cattle slaughtered in the first quarter there was a decline in both sheep and pig slaughterings in the first three months of the year, latest figures show. Source: CSO ..read more

Awareness among farmers and operators in the agri-food supply chain of unfair trading practices (UTPs) is “still too low”, according to a new report from the European Commission. The commission said that its report on the implementation of the directive on UTPs – which became law in all EU member states in mid-2021 – was one of the commitments in response to farmer protests around Europe earlier this year. The report is based on a survey targeting farmers and agri-food operators in the EU that was carried out by the commission between late February and mid-March. The report outlines some “are ..read more

Producer prices for dairy products fell back by 23.7% over the 12-month period to March 2024, according to the Central Statistics Office (CSO). The wholesale price index for 2024 shows that for food products overall, producer prices fell by 9.1% in that 12-month period. Apart from the decrease for dairy products, a slight decrease of 0.3% was also noted for meat and meat products in that period. Decreases in producer prices were also recorded for vegetable and animal oils and fats (down 6%) and grain milling, starches and animal feeds (down 6.8%). Some products saw increases in producer price ..read more

The sustainability of the Irish pig sector and how it has performed up to this point was commended by those in the industry recently. It was a key aspect of the Irish Pig Health Society (IPHS) Symposium held yesterday (Tuesday, April 16) at the Curragh Racecourse Exhibition Hall in Co. Kildare. Professor of monogastric nutrition, John O’Doherty said at the symposium that “we often think at the moment, the only sustainability pillar is the environment”. “But, there is an economic sustainability figure, and there is also a social impact pillar as well,” he said. He said people also call them th ..read more

Ireland reported a 1.8% increase in prices for meat in February 2024, compared with the same month last year, Eurostat has revealed. In February 2024, most European Union (EU) countries reported an increase in prices for meat, compared with February 2023. The highest increase was recorded in Bulgaria (8.2%), followed by Romania (7.7%) and Croatia (7.1%). However, prices in Ireland increased by 1.8%, while in contrast, three countries recorded a decrease in the prices for meat: Czechia (-5.1%), Finland (-2.2%) and Denmark (-0.6%). Source: Eurostat In February 2024, the price of meat in the&nbs ..read more

The largest producer and distributor of fresh eggs in the United States has been forced to destroy 1.6 million laying hens and 337,000 pullets because of an outbreak of avian influenza (bird flu). Cal-Maine Foods also confirmed that it has “temporarily ceased” production at one of its Texas based facilities after it “tested positive” for the virus. The company said it had culled approximately 3.6% of its total flock as it followed the protocols set out by the  US Department of Agriculture (USDA) in relation to an outbreak of bird flu. In a statement it said:” Cal-Maine Foods&nb ..read more