Axiom continues to strengthen its international presence, bringing together expertise, local partnerships and a shared ambition to advance swine genetics worldwide.

The October report from the Swine Health Information Center (SHIC) highlights the continued spread of African swine fever (ASF) and foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) across different regions of the world. Key developments include the spread of ASF among wild boar in Finland, an outbreak on a large pig farm in Romania, and FMD cases in domestic pigs in Cyprus.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has extended the interim maximum zinc level of 3,000 mg/kg in starter pig feeds. The decision follows warnings from the pig and feed industries about potential difficulties if the limit were reduced to 300 mg/kg.

Tuberculosis (TB) has been detected in pigs on nine farms across five counties in Ireland in 2026. Laboratory testing confirmed infection with Mycobacterium bovis, the bacterium responsible for bovine tuberculosis. The Department of Agriculture said the frequency of detection in pigs has increased this year.

The municipality of Camerana in the province of Cuneo, northern Italy, has recorded its first case of African swine fever (ASF). According to an update from the Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Piedmont, Liguria and Valle d’Aosta as of 18 October 2026, the new positive case was detected in wild boar.

Sow slaughter in Scotland in 2026 is running 52% above last year’s level, raising concerns about the future scale of the country’s pig sector. According to Quality Meat Scotland (QMS), the contraction of the sow herd could lead to a significant reduction in pig supply in 2027 and affect the entire pork production chain.

The Philippine Department of Agriculture plans to temporarily suspend the issuance of sanitary and phytosanitary import clearances for certain pork products for 30 to 60 days starting in early November. The measure is intended to support the recovery of the domestic pig sector amid high import volumes and weak producer profitability.

Throughout October 2026, a series of training sessions with simulation exercises for hunting ground users will be held in six regions of Ukraine. Participants will practise biosecurity measures during wild boar hunting and ways to prevent the spread of African swine fever (ASF).

Antibiotic use in Dutch livestock farming declined again in 2025. According to the country’s Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature, sales of veterinary antibiotics have fallen by 77.2% since 2009. At the same time, the broiler sector recorded a noticeable increase in antibiotic use last year.

Japan’s total pig population is forecast by USDA FAS in Tokyo to remain broadly unchanged in 2027 compared with 2026, while the sow herd is expected to decline slightly. Pork production is also projected to remain largely stable, although rising feed costs are placing increasing pressure on farm profitability.

Global pork exports are forecast to remain broadly unchanged in 2027 compared with 2026, following 2% growth this year. Trade flows will be shaped by the impact of ASF in Spain, weaker import demand from China and large pork stocks in key Asian markets, intensifying competition among the EU, the United States and Brazil.

As of 1 September 2026, the United States had 74.3 million pigs, down 1.5% from a year earlier. Declines were recorded in both the breeding herd and market hog inventories, according to data from the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).

The Finnish Food Authority has expanded the core area of the African swine fever (ASF) infected zone in Lappeenranta following detection of the virus in a shot wild boar. The authority said the new finding indicates that the disease is actively spreading.

The Spanish region of Aragon ranked first among European Union regions by pig population, with 9.4 million pigs recorded in December 2025. Together with Catalonia, which had 8.3 million pigs, the two regions accounted for 52.7% of Spain’s total pig population.

Another case of African swine fever (ASF) has been confirmed in the high-risk Collserola zone near Barcelona. The total number of detected cases in the area has now reached 410, according to the Catalan government’s Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food.

Poland’s pig sector has presented a recovery strategy that aims to increase the sow herd, fully supply domestic slaughter with Polish-produced piglets, raise pork production to around 2 million tonnes per year and achieve ASF-free status. The plan was presented to Agriculture Minister Stefan Krajewski on 7 October during a meeting with the Polish Pork Forum.

AHDB has commissioned London Economics to carry out an updated assessment of the economic impact of a potential African swine fever (ASF) outbreak in Great Britain. The study will examine different disease-spread scenarios, the impact on trade, producer incomes, processing operations and the resilience of the pig sector as a whole.

During the first four months of the Interim Trade Agreement between Mercosur and the European Union, the value of Argentina’s agro-industrial exports to the EU reached $1.922 billion — 21% above the average for the same period over the previous three years. The strongest growth was recorded in exports of beef and sheep products, animal feed and food ingredients.

Global pork trade flows have changed significantly since the African swine fever (ASF) outbreak in China in 2018. According to RaboResearch’s World Pork Map 2026, China remains an important market, but its role as an importer is declining, while Mexico has become the world’s largest importer of pork excluding offal, and Brazil has consolidated its position as the third-largest global exporter.

In August 2026, the United States exported 222,200 tonnes of pork and pork variety meats, down 6% from a year earlier. Export value fell by 12% to $606.3 million. The main reason was lower shipments to Mexico amid a recovery in domestic pork production and weaker demand for hams.