Taiwan has been declared free of African swine fever (ASF), bringing the nation one step closer to being the only place in Asia unaffected by the three major swine diseases. The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) yesterday formally approved Taiwan’s application to be declared ASF-free, submitted in July, the Ministry of Agriculture said today.

A backyard pig in the American state Oregon has been found positive for avian influenza A, type H5N1, according to the US Department of Agriculture. The discovery constitutes the first-known case of the virus emerging in swine.

At the end of October, quotations on the slaughterhouse live market showed a fairly rapid recovery, according to the analytical department of the Association of Ukrainian Pig Breeders, based on weekly monitoring of purchase prices.

Every year, the Association of Ukrainian Pig Breeders conducts benchmarking among industrial pig farms in Ukraine - a comparative cross-section of production and technological indicators. Impressions from the results of the 7th round of the study were shared in the analytical department of the Association.

Since 2021 with its detection in the Dominican Republic and Haiti, African swine fever (ASF) has been knocking at our door. This highly contagious viral disease, which is harmless to humans but up to 100% fatal to pigs, has already decimated swine populations across Asia, Europe and elsewhere. Its potential arrival in the U.S. continues to be a concern since our economy and our daily routines are at stake.

ASF poses a multifaceted threat to the U.S., impacting not only farmers, producers, and the pork industry, but also impacting the broader U.S. economy, including impacting the average American’s dinner table.

On 28 October, representatives of the Association of Ukrainian Pig Breeders (AUPB) held an important meeting with the Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine Vitalii Koval. The main topics of discussion were the critical challenges facing the industry, its support and prospects for development in the current economic situation and the increased requirements of European integration.

For several reasons, Poland has not managed to control ASF in wild boars and pigs. What measures has this country implemented during these 10 years and why were they insufficient?

US shipments of fresh, frozen, and cooked pork in August were estimated at 192,376 MT, marking a 7.1% increase compared to the previous year, according to a recent Pork Checkoff market report. This uptick follows a 14% rise in exports in July. Year-to-date, total US pork export shipments reached 1.6 million MT, representing a 5.2% increase from last year.

The European Union and China have agreed to hold further technical negotiations soon on possible alternatives to tariffs on China-built electric vehicles, although significant gaps remain, Reuters reported, citing the European Commission on Friday.

The US pork industry faces declining consumer interest, with swine genetics firm Genesus warning that prioritising leaner pork has reduced flavour and stalled consumption. Genesus calls for quality improvements to avoid an industry decline, while the National Pork Board promotes studies on pork’s flavour potential and cooking methods to boost appeal.

The UK government is facing pressure from farmers and parliamentarians to address the surge in illegal meat imports, warning of the risk of African Swine Fever (ASF) spreading to British farms. According to data obtained by BBC News, the amount of seized illegal meat has doubled over the past year, pointing to increased organized crime in meat smuggling.

Sri Lanka has reported its first cases of African Swine Fever (ASF), leading authorities to suspend the transport of pigs across district divisions. Dr. Hemali Kothalawala, Director General of the Department of Animal Production and Health, confirmed the outbreak and stated that an official gazette notification is being prepared.

Monitoring of intestinal pathogens and their resistance in fattening pigs was carried out at the initiative of the Association of Ukrainian Pig Breeders within the framework of a joint project with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) ‘Ensuring Animal Health in Ukraine’ at the Research Centre for Biosafety and Environmental Control of Agricultural Resources of the State Agrarian and Food Academy of Ukraine (Biosafety-Centre).

European scientists have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm capable of interpreting pig sounds, aiming to create a tool that can help farmers improve animal welfare, reported Reuters.

So far, 175 pig farms have been bought out with the voluntary exit scheme created by the Flemish government.

Cheap imports, regulatory burdens pressuring farmers.

At the beginning of the third decade of October, live pork purchase prices remained at the current level, according to the results of the weekly monitoring of the analytical department of the Association of Ukrainian Pig Breeders.

It looks like the African Swine Fever (ASF) virus in western Germany isn’t going to be over any time soon. In the Bergstraße district in the south of the state Hesse, the death toll has risen considerably amongst the wild boar population. This has prompted authorities to expand the current core zones.

Work done at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign will focus on gene and protein level detection.

Testing for Salmonella in pigs will be suspended as of January 1, 2025.