Whole Hog Brief Issue 168, January 2009

The front page of the January 2009 issue reports the OECD/FAO Agricultural Outlook paper for 2008-2017 with forecasts for meat production over that period. Page 2 provides a review of pig production in Ireland after the recent contamination scare and product recalls. Page 3 presents the Global Pig Price cycle and our forecast of a possible downturn as early as late Spring 2009. On page 4 the tables provide listings of the top pig production companies in the USA and Canada – the Pork Powerhouses. In the USA the table is headed by Smithfield Foods and followed by; Triumph Foods, Seaboard Foods, Iowa Select Farms, the Pipestone System, Prestage Farms, The Maschhoffs, Cargill, Maxwell Foods, and AMVC Management. In Canada top spot goes to Hytek, followed by Big Sky Farms, Maple Leaf Agri-Farms, the Puratone Corporation, and Stomp Pork Farms.  On page 5 EU pig prices run out of steam. On page 6 Canadian pork exports show good gains in the first three quarters of 2008 especially in some parts of Asia and in Russia.  The data show that US pork exports are up almost 70% in Q1-Q3 2008 on page 7. Australian pork imports are up by c. 40% on page 8. The Japanese market for imported pigmeat shows a steady increase in 2008 on page 9 whilst South Korea’s import levels are almost unchanged.   

News in Short on page 11 covers; changes in the Russian import quotas for different meat species, Chinese pork prices, the re-opening of the Japanese and South Korean markets to Chilean pork, the end of the Mexican ban on US meat imports, new tariffs  for meat imports to the Ukraine, Zhongpin’s plans to open a new pork production facility in Gongzhuling Jilin province in China, and export data for pork from Belarus.  The back page sets out Company News from Smithfield Foods and its proposed merger with Campofrio, Tyson Foods’ proposed cuts in beef and chicken production, the news that Hans in Australia will enter voluntary administration. The Global Price Monitor tabulates prices for 17 countries on the back page also.