Data Tables
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Articles
| Id | Title | Subtitle | Content | Active | Archived | Category | User | Created | Modified | Actiuni |
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| Id | Title | Subtitle | Content | Active | Archived | Category | User | Created | Modified | Actiuni |
| 4422 | Delays at borders hit British meat exporters | "The current paper-based customs and certifications system is a relic. It was never designed to cope with (an) integrated, just-in-time supply chain,", said BMPA. | <p>British meat exports to the EU market are facing delays due to the new post-Brexit customs system and some of these products have already lost their shelf-life integrity, waiting to leave the British soil, according to the international press. For the first two weeks of January, British meat exporters have decided to curb the volumes shipped to the EU by 20% in order to have a rapid, clean customs check but that doesn't seem to be enough. The British meat industry warned on Monday of looming border chaos as post-Brexit customs checks between Britain and the European Union (EU) halt some cross-border meat flows. "The current paper-based customs and certifications system is a relic. It was never designed to cope with (an) integrated, just-in-time supply chain,” said Nick Allen, head of the BMPA, quoted by Reuters. Under a deal reached last month, British trade with the EU remains free of tariffs and quotas on goods, but exporters, especially fresh produce sellers, say their businesses are still threatened by delays caused by customs checks.</p> <p>The BMPA said meat exporters have had consignments returned undelivered and that European customers are already turning away from UK suppliers. Moreover, some of Britain’s largest hauliers have ceased taking ‘grouped loads’ or consignments of mixed products, the BMPA said. About 40% of British meat trade with the EU is sent in this manner.</p> | 1 | Industry | 2021-01-19 04:23:00 | 2025-08-15 14:13:07 | Details Edit Delete | ||
| 4423 | Poultry prices are spiking in the Dominican Republic | An increase in production costs is making the market unstable, warns the Dominican Poultry Association. | <p>Increased demand for corn and soybeans from China has led to a spike in prices for meat products in the Dominican Republic. The price of raw materials used by the Dominican poultry sector increased by 41%, which directly impacted its production costs by more than 70%. Although the sector hopes that everything will improve, the projections for the first months of 2021 are not positive.<br />“We, as an association, understand that the chicken should not grow more than it is. Production is even increasing, ”said Pavel Concepcion, president of the Dominican Poultry Association, quoted by the Avicultura Industrial magazine.</p> <p>The executive director of the Dominican Poultry Association, Gregory Marte, said that the price of corn and soybeans increased 41.4% and 40.8%, respectively, in 2020 compared to 2019, which in his opinion reflects an increase never seen before. "Corn and soy represent 70% of the cost of producing chicken and eggs and 95% of pork," said Mars, indicating that the Dominican authorities must be attentive to the issue of raw materials from the poultry and pork sectors, seeking measures at least lead to price stabilization. Currently, the price for a farmed chicken is ranging between 36 pesos ($0.62) to ($0.65) per kilo. "China has made a very rapid recovery and has increased demand for these products very quickly and has no raw materials. The reality that exists in this environment is that the raw material increased 41% and this impacts 70% of the cost of producing chickens and eggs in the Dominican Republic,", added Mr Marte.<br />Usually, the sector produces around 18 million birds per month but due to the Covid-19 crisis, production has dropped to 16 million birds/month. Even so, if the cost of the raw material does not stabilize, prices will continue to rise, warned the association. In the region, countries such as Argentina have increased the taxes for corn and soybean exports in an attempt to keep the commodities available for the domestic meat industry.</p> <p> </p> | 1 | Industry | 2021-01-19 04:46:41 | 2025-08-15 22:14:28 | Details Edit Delete | ||
| 4424 | The avian flu situation in France is getting worse | There are more than 170 outbreaks reported in the regions bordering Spain. | <p>With a total of 197 outbreaks of avian influenza H5N8 counted at the end of last week, France has become a "scarecrow" for a neighbouring country as 170 of those outbreaks are placed in the regions bordering Spain. Five of these regions are listed in a ministerial decree n which a preventive slaughter of birds could be ordered. These include all the municipalities in the Gers, Landes, Pyrénées-Atlantiques and Hautes-Pyrenees regions, and eleven municipalities in the Lot-et-Garonne region, according to Carnica magazine.<br />French Agriculture and Food Minister Julien Denormandie recalled that everything possible must be done to stop the spread of bird flu and protect the areas that are still free. Denormandie has described the virus as "extremely contagious among birds" and has insisted on the biosecurity of poultry farms.<br />To date, around 700,000 poultry, mainly ducks, have been slaughtered on the orders of the French administration after detection of outbreaks or preventively.<br />Despite the boom in outbreaks in the southwest of the neighbouring country, the situation seems to be stabilized in the rest of the regions affected by the virus since no new cases, domestic or wild, have been registered for 15 days. The first case of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5N8 was reported in France in mid-November.</p> | 1 | Industry | 2021-01-19 06:13:34 | 2025-08-16 18:07:32 | Details Edit Delete | ||
| 4425 | Mixed picture for global meat production | Beef and poultry outputs are expected to decline, while pork production will rise by 2%. | <p>2021 will offer a mixed picture for meat production around the globe, says the most recent USDA forecast. According to the report, pork production will increase by 2% this year, to reach 103.8 million tonnes. The main reason is that the Chinese pig sector is recovering from ASF. High prices continue to incentivize producers to expand their number of animals, leading to China's production forecast being revised up 5%.<br />However, despite this review, Chinese production is expected to remain below pre-ASF levels as rising costs and animal management problems create problems. The rise in production in China more than compensates for the sharp decline in production in the Philippines, where ASF continues to spread in key regions. World pork exports for 2021 are revised up by almost 3%, to 11.1 million tonnes. Imports from China will be lower but are expected to remain elevated, compared to pre-ASF figures. For the US pork producers, one disappointment will be the Mexican market, where weak currency and economy lead to lower expectations.<br />World beef production will decline to around 61.2 million tonnes, mainly due to reductions in China and the United States. China is revised down by 3% (6.7 million tonnes less than last year). World beef exports in 2021 will remain unchanged at 10.8 million tonnes. Demand from Asia remains strong and the supply forecast for most major exporters has not changed, said the report.<br />Global chicken meat production for 2021 is revised down 1%, to 101.8 million tonnes, due to sharp declines in the EU and China. The EU is fighting the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza in several Member States, lower domestic demand and higher grain prices. China's demand for chicken meat continues to grow, but at a slower rate, as the pig herd recovers and with it the production of pork. As a result, exports from the EU, Thailand and Brazil will decline, while those of the United States will rise.</p> <p> </p> | 1 | Industry | 2021-01-20 12:19:22 | 2025-08-14 13:51:12 | Details Edit Delete | ||
| 4426 | Brazil expects to capitalize on China-Australia trade war | "I believe that Brazil will not want a trade war with China, as is happening now with Australia", says the president of the Brazil-China Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Charles Tang. | <p>As China is moving away from several beef producers in Australia due to diplomatic disputes between the two countries, Brazil expects to increase its share in the Chinese beef market. According to data collected by the Animal Protein Association (ABPA), China already accounts for 17% of chicken meat exported by Brazil and with 50.7% of total pork exports.<br />According to the president of the Brazil-China Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Charles Tang, even with the reconstitution of the Chinese herds, the Asian country's appetite for Brazilian meat should continue. “China is quickly rebuilding its breeding stock and, as a result, will have to import a lot of grain to feed its animals. However, protein consumption should continue to grow, especially for beef, since there is no space in China to raise cattle ”, he explains.</p> <p>After Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison attacked Chinese national interests, the Asian country moved away from buying from several Australian meatpackers, in addition to cutting imports and taxing barley. “The Australian economy is suffering a lot from these import cuts. And I believe that Brazil will not want a trade war with China, as is happening now with Australia ”, he added.<br />A recent forecast from USDA foresees a decline in China's beef output of 3% (6.7 million tonnes less than last year), which opens the door for imported beef.</p> | 1 | Industry | 2021-01-20 12:33:14 | 2025-08-16 01:36:22 | Details Edit Delete | ||
| 4427 | UK's December lamb slaughter numbers up by 5% | The British lamb market has seen a recovery after the first lockdown. | <p>UK lamb kill during December was 1.25 million head, up 5% on the same month of the preavoius year levels, according to AHDB. For the year of 2020, the figure is estimated at 13.1 million head, which still puts total lamb kill during 2020 down by 50,000 head on the previous year.<br />However, the biggest drop seems to be related to the firs lockdown applied in the Kingdon, since June the market increasing steadily by 4% each month. "This from a crop in 2020 that was likely to have been a similar size to the crop in 2019. One factor that may have helped to drive the increase in total throughput during December was vendors aiming to finish more lambs earlier in order to beat the EU-Exit deadline. This would have allowed them to avoid the impact of tariffs that would have been imposed in the event that a trade deal was not reached. Carcase weights have remained fairly stable for several months now, but they are now marginally up on last year to average 19.5kg/head," explained Charlie Reeve, livestock analyst at AHDB.<br />Total sheep meat production totalled 27,700 tonnes during December, up 1,000 tonnes on December 2019. Annual production was 297,200 tonnes, 10,300 tonnes lower than in 2019, predominantly due to 247,000 fewer adult sheep slaughtered.</p> | 1 | Market | 2021-01-20 13:20:32 | 2025-08-16 13:28:55 | Details Edit Delete | ||
| 4428 | Grupo Kuo to invest $100 million in a new processing plant | The Mexican processor of pork intends to rebuild and expand its facility in Sahe, Yucatan Peninsula. | <p>Grupo KUO, through Keken, a subsidiary specialized in the production and commercialization of pork, announces the investment of 2 billion pesos ($100 million) for the reconstruction of the processing plant in the community of Sahe, Yucatan.<br />With this investment, more than 2,000 direct jobs and more than 7,000 indirect jobs will be created, favoring the development of the communities in the southeast of the country, according to a press release from the company.<br />This plant will boost production capacity, increasing the supply of processed products in the company's network of more than 500 stores, as well as the export offer to different countries in Asia and America.<br />"With this important announcement, we consolidate our position as the largest producer of pork in the country and reaffirm our commitment to creating value in conjunction with our stakeholders. This investment reiterates the confidence in the model and in the business opportunities," declared Alejandro de la Barreda, CEO of Grupo Kuo.<br />"The new plant in Sahe means more jobs, confidence in the future and better opportunities for the communities of the state of Yucatan. Our priority is, and will continue to be, to offer food of the highest quality", added Claudio Freixes, CEO of Keken. Mexico has reduced its pork imports over the last 2 years while increasing pork output due to increased demand from Asian states.</p> | 1 | Industry | 2021-01-21 06:06:03 | 2025-08-16 10:05:38 | Details Edit Delete | ||
| 4429 | Vion looks to buy Belgian beef producer | The Dutch Group announced its intention to acquire beef producer Adriaens to strengthen its position in Western Europe. | <p>Vion Food Group intends to acquire beef producer Adriaens in Zottegem (Belgium) after a period of intensive cooperation. Through this acquisition, Vion wishes to focus on regional strengthening in Western Europe, alongside its locations in the Netherlands and Germany. Adriaens has 126 employees and these will be transferred to the new organisation.<br />"Our customers want to see what they are buying and where it comes from. That’s why we are working on regional chains that are assembled based on the demand from our customers. With the strengthening of our beef activities in Belgium, we will achieve a better spread of our activities for our customers in Western Europe. Together with the Adriaens team, we hope to further strengthen the Vion group’s relationships with farmers and customers in this important Western European region for beef cattle," stated Ronald Lotgerink, CEO of Vion Food Group. Belgian cattle are known for their high-quality meat. With the intended take-over, Vion wants to establish a strong supply chain that guarantees quality and transparency in the beef market.<br />Vion is an international food company active in meat and plant-based meat substitutes. Vion’s strategy focuses on the development of regional chains that are distinctive and connect producers and consumers in terms of quality and price.</p> | 1 | Industry | 2021-01-21 06:17:30 | 2025-08-16 02:47:09 | Details Edit Delete | ||
| 4430 | Meat exports from Belarus jump 7.2% in value | For the first 11 months of 2020, agricultural and food exports of Belarus have grown by 4.9%. | <p>Belarusian agricultural and food exports have increased by 4.9% between January-November 2020 compared with the same period of the previous year, says BeltaNews Agency, quoting the Agriculture and Food Ministry. “In January-November 2020, the export of agricultural products and foodstuffs amounted to $5.3 billion, up 4.9% year-on-year. In general, foreign exchange earnings rose by $243.8 million. Growth was reported in such commodity items as dairy products (3.5%), meat and meat products (7.2%), as well as many other commodities,” the press service of the Ministry said.<br />Russia remains the main destination for agri-food exports, accounting for 74.3% of those worth $3.9 billion. The share of the CIS countries (excluding Russia) increased by 2.2 percentage points and amounted to 11.8%, or $622.4 million. The share of non-CIS countries increased by 3.6 percentage points and amounted to 13.8%, or $727.2 million (up 41.7%), including China ($238.7 million), up 210%. Also, Belarus has added 12 new destinations for its agricultural commodities and food reaching to a total of 111 countries.</p> <p> </p> | 1 | Industry | 2021-01-21 07:09:46 | 2025-08-10 20:41:31 | Details Edit Delete | ||
| 4431 | Pig barns to fuel biogas plants in Denmark | Over the last 3 years, a pilot project involving 405 farmers and 28 biogas plants has mapped the way to this conclusion. | <p>The Danish Minister of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, Rasmus Prehn is asking pig farmers in the country to become part of the solution of using manure from the barns in biogas plants in order to reduce CO2 emissions. This is one of the conclusions of a 3-year project in which 405 farmers and 28 biogas plants have mapped the opportunities, barriers and benefits of reducing the time that the manure lies in the pig houses before it reaches the biogas plants.<br />"Agriculture accounts for a large part of Denmark's CO2 emissions, so if we are to be ambitious on behalf of the climate, we must look at how we can reduce emissions. These results give us and the farmers important knowledge that there is great potential to be gained by sending manure more frequently from the barn to biogas plants," says Minister of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, Rasmus Prehn.</p> <p>The project has shown that it is possible to reduce the time during which manure is stored in pig pens from an average of 15 to 10 days. This is good for the climate, as it avoids the manure lying unnecessarily long in the stables and emitting greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.</p> <p>Great economic potential</p> <p>In addition, the results indicate that the biogas plants can both produce more climate-friendly energy and make a good deal out of getting manure in faster from the stables. The freshness of the manure also means that the biogas plants can produce more energy out of the same amount. This is because frequent leaching delays the conversion to methane of the organic material in the manure, whereby the gas potential is better preserved. The fresher manure thus has a higher gas potential, and a larger part of the material can be reacted at the biogas plant, rather than the reaction taking place in the barn, where the methane cannot be utilized.<br />"It is a wish scenario that we can relatively easily increase the reduction of agricultural emissions of greenhouse gases at the same time as we produce more climate-friendly energy from manure. That is why I think the project's results are very exciting," says Rasmus Prehn. The average cost for farmers is about 180 kroner per reduced tonne of CO2, which makes it a relatively cheap tool. However, there is variation in cost. The expenses go, among other things, to increased working hours. The report recommends that biogas plants and farmers discuss how the economic benefits can be distributed, as it is the farmers who will bear the costs of frequent decommissioning and the biogas plants that receive the economic benefits.</p> | 1 | Industry | 2021-01-22 09:44:33 | 2025-08-16 12:33:21 | Details Edit Delete | ||
| 4432 | Bettcher Industries names new director for Europe | The company specializing in the manufacture of high-quality cutting machinery for the meat and fish industry has appointed Rene T. Hansen as the new CEO of its European subsidiary, based in Dierikon, Switzerland. | <p>Bettcher decided to promote a new name in the position of CEO for its European subsidiary, based in Dierikon, Switzerland. Rene T. Hansen, former International Sales Manager for Bettcher GmbH, was appointed as director of Bettcher Industries Europe. In his new position, Hansen will be responsible for the company's business development strategy and will try to ensure the successful implementation of all the objectives throughout the company, customer network and distributors, as explained by the company. <br />Rene T. Hansen has been with Bettcher Industries since July 2018, as International Sales Manager. Behind him, the new general director for Europe has a long history and a great professional experience in the protein business, with more than 30 years. Before joining Bettcher, he worked as a Product Manager at Nemco A / S for 13 years and previously as a Consultant at the Danish Meat Research Institute.<br />"I am honored to have been promoted to managing director of Bettcher GmbH. Coming from the position of international sales manager within the Bettcher family gives me a good perspective and a solid foundation for running the business," said Mr Hansen.<br />For his part, Mark Host, vice president of global sales at Bettcher Industries, said that the company is "very happy" with the signing, adding that "his extensive experience and deep knowledge of the protein industry will advance even more our business in the European market. Having previously worked as an international sales manager at Bettcher GmbH, knowing him will help to strengthen existing networks in the industry and establish new innovative strategies. We wish him continued success in his new role. ”</p> | 1 | Technology | 2021-01-22 09:56:44 | 2025-08-16 14:41:11 | Details Edit Delete | ||
| 4433 | Higher feed costs are eroding profits for the Russian pig industry | Prices have been steady at $1.40/ kg liveweight but profits are declining. | <p>Higher feed prices have reduced profitability for Russian pig breeders and prices per kilo in liveweight, currently at 103 Roubles ($1.40), have been in the range of 100 to 110 Roubles for months now. With no increase in prices and new farms being built rapidly in the last 12 months the Russian pig industry is heading for a darker area, according to the latest report from Simon Grey, General Manager Russia, CIS and Europe, Genesus Inc. "A large proportion of production is in the hands of fully integrated companies. These produce a lot, if not all of their own major feed raw materials. This is in grain stores and in principle there at cost of production for the holding company. From a cash point of view, these companies can operate with lower pig price. Farms that buy their feed do not have this advantage. At the same time, new farms continue to be built and stocked. Russia continues its march to be a next exporter of pig meat. This will inevitably mean lower pig prices," he commented.<br />Ironically as it sounds, the only relief seen in this market was a number of ASF outbreaks that reduced the stocks in several large farms. In November and December, nearly 500,000 pigs were destroyed in Russia, due to ASF and that maintained the prices steady. The number accounts for 3% of the swine population in the country, according to official data.</p> | 1 | Industry | 2021-01-22 10:17:58 | 2025-08-15 08:12:25 | Details Edit Delete | ||
| 4434 | Aviagen opens Argentinian subsidiary | The company wants to exploit the domestic demand for poultry. | <p>Aviagen has opened a subsidiary in Argentina to capitalize on the domestic demand for chicken meat. Currently, Argentinians have put aside the beef and are showing a major interest for poultry and pork. Located in the province of San Juan and composed of a grandparent's farm, a breeder hatchery and a feed factory, Aviagen Argentina becomes the first independent poultry operation with integrations with local production in the country. With a production capacity of 2.5 million birds per year, the new company will supply the domestic market with Ross birds.<br />Ross birds are highly popular in Argentina and throughout Latin America, benefiting poultry producers through strong viability, high meat yield, a healthy growth rate and high resistance to environments.<br />Luis Cesio, Aviagen's business manager in South America, excluding Brazil (SAEB), explained that the poultry market in Argentina continues to grow, with consumption of around 50 kilos per capita/year. He added that Argentina is ideal for chicken production, as it has a good environment and biosafety conditions, combined with a qualified workforce. “Aviagen remains committed to the poultry industry in Latin America and Argentina, and the Ross brand is highly regarded in the country's poultry market, with a total accommodation of 8 million head/ year. The need for high-quality matrices continues to rise, which is why our company is now extending its global reach to Argentina, with a production of high-quality matrices close to the markets where we operate, ” he declared for the AviNews magazine.</p> <p> </p> | 1 | Industry | 2021-01-25 13:03:41 | 2025-08-15 06:49:53 | Details Edit Delete | ||
| 4435 | Meat consumption in the EU to decline | Over the next decade, per capita consumption of animal protein is expected to reach an average of 67.6 kg, down 1.1 kg from the current level. | <p>Sustainability is expected to play a big role in meat consumption in the EU market over the next 10 years. The latest outlook presented by the European Commission foresees a decline of 1.1 kg in meat consumption over the next decade. By the end of 2030, the average per capita consumption will be set at 67.6 kg, according to the report.<br />However, some of the products included in the animal protein range will perform better than others. Concerns for the environment, the risk of ASF and changes in consumer preferences may limit the production of pork in the EU. Strong international demand and high prices have reduced domestic consumption recently, setting a medium-term trend. Regarding exports, the EU should remain the dominant supplier, but the record levels of 2019-2020 are not expected to recover.</p> <p>Following the decline in the EU livestock herd, beef production is also expected to continue to decline, despite subdued export prospects and a slight decline in feed prices. The consumption of beef in the EU will decrease by 0.9 kg per capita, but export opportunities could improve in the medium term. Imports could also increase slowly, following the gradual increase in tariff quotas resulting from the entry into force of recent free trade agreements between the EU and certain trading partners.</p> <p>Sheep and goat meat production and consumption in the EU is expected to remain stable. Live animal exports should decline, while sheep meat imports should remain stable and well below the total volume of tariff quotas opened by the EU.</p> <p>The demand for poultry meat in the EU is expected to grow steadily, as it is seen by consumers as a healthy and sustainable product. Poultry production is expected to be the only meat category to grow. Exports should continue to benefit from the appreciation of specific boneless cuts, while imports are expected to grow based on the availability of tariff quotas.</p> | 1 | Market | 2021-01-25 13:15:15 | 2025-08-16 11:26:01 | Details Edit Delete | ||
| 4436 | Pig prices in the EU are showing resilience | Still, the ban imposed by Asian states to German pork will continue to weigh on prices here. | <p>There is plenty of pig meat in the European market and prices are expected to go down in the following months. Despite the fact that Belgium has been declared ASf-free and re-opened the Chinese market at the beginning of 2021, the ban imposed on German pork by different countries around the globe will continue to have an influence in the single market, as noted in the latest AHDB analysis.<br />"Prices for pigs across the EU have been relatively steady in the past few weeks, despite problems continuing to beset the bloc. This has been the pattern in recent months however and does not preclude further price drops. Reports of high levels of pork in store, with no end in sight for export restrictions, could indicate that further lower prices are still on the cards.<br />Belgium has now been declared free of African Swine Fever, but prices continue to trade at a significant discount to the average. Reports from both Denmark and Germany are still of significant numbers of rolled pigs. This is due to COVID-19 curtailing slaughter as well as German pork exports still being unable to access a number of markets, including China," mentioned Duncan Wyatt, Lead Analyst for AHDB.<br />More recent market reports suggest slaughter numbers have been picking up across the EU. However, marketing pigs - especially from Germany - is still proving difficult, with ongoing widespread disruption to foodservice outlets. Demand from China is said to be good at the moment and is underpinning slaughter somewhat for those exporters that still have access, for example in Spain.<br />"There was little sign of an impending slowdown in German production in November census data. Supplies of slaughter pigs are likely to be plentiful for some months to come. More generally, low pig prices across the continent, due to an abundance of available product will continue to weigh on prices here," added Mr Wyatt.</p> | 1 | Market | 2021-01-25 13:29:48 | 2025-08-15 23:42:00 | Details Edit Delete | ||
| 4437 | Cargill halts production in 2 of its meat plants | The decision is not related to the COVID-19 pandemic, announced the company. | <p>Cargill US announced the planned, temporary idling of two protein processing facilities for scheduled maintenance. Each facility’s idling is unrelated to the COVID-19 pandemic.<br />On February 4, Cargill will idle its Dodge City, Kansas location and on March 18, the company will idle its Schuyler, Nebraska facility. Both sites are primary processing operations and will be down for approximately one week to perform previously scheduled maintenance of the refrigeration systems.<br />“We have been in communication with producers in advance of the idling to work with them to ship cattle to other facilities within our robust supply chain or make accommodations to process as many cattle before the maintenance work commences,” said Jarrod Gillig, supply chain lead for Cargill’s North American protein business. “We will continue to fulfil all customer orders and do not anticipate disruptions to their operations.”<br />Working in partnership with each local union chapter, Cargill employees will be paid during the idle time as outlined in their collective agreement. To prevent food waste, each facility will process all cattle on-site before the temporary idling begins.</p> <p> </p> | 1 | Industry | 2021-01-26 07:05:42 | 2025-08-16 01:17:38 | Details Edit Delete | ||
| 4438 | Aussie red meat sector takes a closer look on Brexit | Split quota between the UK and EU are forcing Australian exporters to navigate several quota regimes. | <p>The Australian red meat industry is taking a closer look at the new quota regimes adopted by the EU and the United Kingdom. On one hand, the immediate outcome of Brexit is not as frictionless, as Australia’s current EU beef and sheepmeat tariff rate quotas have been divided between the EU and UK – further constraining Australia’s small volume access and removing the flexibility of shifting product according to consumer demand between the EU and UK markets. On the other, trade can keep flowing and negotiations with both parts for a Free Trade Agreement are underway.</p> <p>From 1 January 2021, Australia’s access to the EU and UK markets is as follows:</p> <p>- Australia’s previous 7,150 tonne EU Hilton beef quota has been split: 3,389 tonnes to the EU and 3,761 tonnes to the UK<br /> - Australia’s 19,186 tonne sheepmeat/goatmeat quota has been split: 5,851 tonnes to the EU and 13,335 tonnes to the UK.<br />As a consequence, Australian exporters now have to navigate several quota regimes – an unfortunate Brexit outcome. The ultimate ‘fix’ to improving this outcome will be via the two separate but parallel Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) Australia is negotiating with both the EU and UK. These negotiations will be crucial to securing much-improved, long-term preferential access to these high-value markets.<br />Despite COVID-related disruptions throughout 2020, four rounds of the Australia-EU FTA negotiations were successfully held – one in Canberra and three virtually. Similarly, the Australia-UK FTA negotiations have made progress since being launched virtually in June, followed by three virtual negotiating rounds. With further virtual negotiating rounds for both the Australia-EU FTA and Australia-UK FTA scheduled for the first quarter of 2021, it is encouraging to see the momentum continuing. From an industry perspective, FTA advocacy activities will ramp up in 2021 – led by the EU/UK Red Meat Market Access Taskforce, announced Meat and Livestock Australia.</p> | 1 | Market | 2021-01-26 10:54:15 | 2025-08-16 13:54:01 | Details Edit Delete | ||
| 4439 | First female CEO in South Korea's grocery industry is resigning | Lim Il-soon, chief executive of South Korean retailer HomePlus, is stepping down after leading the business for about three and a half years. She invoked personal reasons. | <p>Lim Il-soon, the first female that become CEO in the grocery industry of South Korea has decided to resign after three and a half years spent with HomePlus retail chain. Appointed in October 2017, Lim was the first female CEO in the grocery industry in the country. Homeplus said Lim has brought many positive transformations for the company:</p> <p>- Leading a people-centred culture: in 2019 Lim converted over 15,000 contract employees to permanent employment. This makes 99% of Homeplus’ 23,000 workers permanent employees, whilst its rivals rely more heavily on contract workers<br />- Strengthening the online business: Lim used a number of outlets as fulfillment centers in areas where demand for online orders was high, so customers could purchase items online and pick them up at the nearby branch<br />- Launched Homeplus Special stores: combining the advantages of warehouse stores with supermarkets. This new format has attracted customer attention.<br />Lim offered to resign over personal matters in the second half of 2020. Homeplus only recently accepted her resignation in January 2021.<br />"Lim has deep insight in retail business and based on her excellent strategy, she turned Homeplus into a future retail company. She has already prepared a business plan for 2021 to minimize the impact of her vacant position when she leaves," a Homeplus official said, quoted by IGD Asia. Homeplus has yet to find a new leader and it is currently talking with several candidates.</p> | 1 | Retail | 2021-01-26 11:07:26 | 2025-08-16 04:28:26 | Details Edit Delete | ||
| 4440 | South Korea culls 20 million birds due to bird flu | The measure has increased prices of eggs by 25% and is forcing the government to allow imports without taxes. | <p>Egg prices in South Korea have skyrocketed in the last three months due to avian influenza in poultry farms. According to the South Korean news agency Yonhap, since November, authorities have ordered the culling of 19.9 million birds in an attempt to stop the spread of the Avian Influenza outbreak that has been affecting. 82% (16 million head) of those cullings were carried in laying hen farms, causing a spike in egg prices.<br />Until last week the country had registered 73 different outbreaks of the disease, caused by a strain of type H5N8. in just one week the average price of eggs increased 24.2%, while chicken meat increased by almost 10%.<br />In an attempt to minimize these increases, the South Korean government announced that it intends to import up to 50 thousand tons of fresh eggs and egg products, without tariffs, by the end of June.<br />Also, a large number of cases reported in wild birds (87) is further hampering the efforts to curb the spread of the virus on local poultry farms. So far, South Korean authorities decided to depopulate all poultry farms within a radius of three kilometres from each detected outbreak.</p> | 1 | Industry | 2021-01-27 04:56:55 | 2025-08-16 02:42:13 | Details Edit Delete | ||
| 4441 | New ASF strains discovered in China | Illicit vaccines may be behind the new form of the disease, warns scientists. | <p>A new form of African swine fever (ASF), less contagious than the original virus, has been discovered in pig farms in China. Although strains do not kill pigs, they cause a chronic disease that reduces the number of healthy piglets being born, reported Reuters, after interviewing Yan Zhichun, New Hope Lihue's scientific director.<br />More than 1,000 pigs have been infected in various farms at New Hope Liuhe, China's fourth-largest producer, as well as animals undergoing fattening processes for the company. The new strains lack one or two key genes present in the original virus and are not deadly to the animals, confirmed Yan Zhichun. However, the productivity in breeding farms may be severely impacted by these new forms of the disease. "I don't know where they come from, but we detected some infections in mild forms caused by some type of virus with deleted genes," said Yan, who also suspects illicit vaccines against ASF to be behind all that.<br />Since August 2018, China has lost almost 40% of the national swine inventory due to ASF crisis. There is no approved vaccine against African swine fever, a disease that does not affect humans. Still, many Chinese farmers, struggling to protect their pigs, have turned to unauthorized products, according to industry experts. They fear that illicit vaccines have created accidental infections, which are now spreading.<br />The new strains can proliferate globally through contaminated meat, infecting pigs that are fed with leftover food. The virus is known to survive for months in some pig products. In 2020, China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs issued at least three warnings against the use of unauthorized African swine fever vaccines, saying that they could have serious side effects and that producers and users could be criminally accused.<br />In August, the ministry said it would test pigs for different strains of the virus as part of a national investigation into the illegal use of vaccines. Any strain with deleted genes may indicate that a vaccine has been used, officials said. So far, no conclusions have been published on the matter.</p> <p>(<em>Photo source: GCCA</em>)</p> | 1 | Industry | 2021-01-27 05:20:20 | 2025-08-16 15:44:54 | Details Edit Delete |
