Pork continues to hold its place as a daily staple in Japanese diets, even amid ongoing inflationary pressure. According to forecasts from the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) in Tokyo, pork demand in Japan is expected to remain steady in 2025, at levels similar to 2024.

In Q1 2025, African Swine Fever (ASF) continues to cause damage across global pig production - outbreaks persist in both domestic and wild pig populations worldwide.

In January–March 2025, China produced 16.02 million metric tons of pork — a 1.2% increase compared to the same period in 2024. The figures were reported by Reuters, citing data from the National Bureau of Statistics of China.

In the week before Easter, prices for slaughterhouse pig live stock increased by 5.5% compared to the previous week. The positive price dynamics is reported by analysts of the Association of Ukrainian Pig Breeders.

Germany has officially regained its status as free of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), according to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), the country’s Federal Ministry of Agriculture reported on Tuesday, as cited by Reuters.

The fifth meeting of the SuLAWe Project Supervisory Board took place at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences on 7-9 April. The project partners* - Ukrainian and foreign universities together with representatives of a business association - discussed key achievements and plans to raise awareness and implement sustainable production and animal welfare practices in Ukraine.

The Philippine swine sector has suffered billions in losses since the first outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) in 2019. According to the Department of Agriculture (DA), the current swine population stands at just 60% of the nearly 13 million heads recorded prior to the outbreak, reflecting a devastating 40% decline.

Representatives of the agrarian associations of Ukraine and the Netherlands, as well as the relevant ministries of both countries, discussed key issues of prospects and barriers to the integration of Ukrainian agriculture into the EU single market.

China has signed two new agricultural trade protocols with Spain, covering pork and cherries, in a move aimed at strengthening ties with the European Union amid rising trade tensions with the United States, Reuters reports.

In February 2025, U.S. pork exports were moderately lower compared to the same period last year, despite steady demand from Mexico and Central America. This was reported by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF), citing data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Hungary, which recently reported its first foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak in over half a century, has suggested that the virus may have an artificial origin. As Reuters reports, on Thursday, Gergely Gulyás, Chief of Staff to Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, stated that a "biological attack" cannot be ruled out.

European and American agricultural organizations have expressed concern over the new US import tariffs on goods from the European Union, which take effect on April 9. According to President Donald Trump, the tariffs will be set at 20%, significantly raising the price of European products on the US market.

In the first quarter of 2025, a total of 4,481 cases of African Swine Fever (ASF) were reported among wild boars and 168 among domestic pigs across 17 European countries, according to updated data from the Animal Disease Information System (ADIS) as of April 9.

Surveys by the Brazilian Animal Protein Association (ABPA), based on data from the Foreign Trade Secretariat (Secex), show that Brazilian pork exports totalled 116.3 thousand tons in March, a volume 26.6% higher than that shipped in the same month of 2024, with 91.9 thousand tons.

On April 10, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez began an official visit to Vietnam and China, aiming to strengthen political and economic ties with Asian countries against the backdrop of rising global trade conflicts following sweeping tariffs imposed by the United States.

Pig meat quotations rose in the European Union after Germany regained foot-and-mouth-disease-free status.

The European Commission has proposed 25% counter-tariffs on a range of American goods in response to US tariffs on European steel and aluminum. The news was reported by Reuters, citing a document seen by journalists.

Austria has closed 24 small border crossings with Hungary and Slovakia in an attempt to stop the spread of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) into the country. Austria was last affected by FMD in 1981.