Spain’s livestock sector continues to reduce ammonia emissions: in 2024, they fell by a further 2.3% compared with the previous year, while the reduction relative to the 2005 baseline has now reached 17.6%. As a result, Spain has met its commitments under European national emission reduction rules for the fourth consecutive year, with the actual decline significantly exceeding the required targets.

From 12 August, new rules on packaging and packaging waste (PPWR) apply across the European Union. They establish common requirements for the entire EU internal market, aim to reduce packaging waste and strengthen circularity in the sector. One of the key changes is a restriction on the use of PFAS in food-contact packaging.

How can producers choose the optimal ration in a volatile raw material market? Why is efficient finishing not only about feed itself, but also about achieving the right balance between cost, quality and performance? Practical solutions will be discussed on 23 September at the International Congress “Profitable Pig Production” during the working panel “Feed Solutions for Optimising Production Costs.”

Canada has introduced restrictions on imports of pork and certain pig products from Finland following the country’s first-ever outbreak of African swine fever (ASF) in wild boar. Some products produced in Finland between 24 June and 11 August are no longer eligible for entry into the Canadian market, while shipments produced on or after 12 August require a special import permit. China and Taiwan have also introduced import restrictions on Finnish products.

The number of wild boar infected with African swine fever (ASF) in Finland has risen to 19. All positive findings are concentrated in two clusters located about 5 km apart near the Russian border. As the virus has spread, the core restricted zone has been extended into the neighbouring municipality of Miehikkälä. At the same time, no ASF cases have been detected in domestic pigs in Finland so far.

Argentina is upgrading its Electronic Slaughter Control System (CEF), which automatically records the weight and images of slaughtered animals and is intended to strengthen oversight and transparency across the meat supply chain. The new version is already being tested at 12 facilities, with nationwide rollout to all 480 slaughter plants planned as the next stage.

Russian drones attacked an agricultural enterprise in the village of Velyka Komyshuvakha, Izium district, Kharkiv region. The strike caused a fire at a pig farm and killed more than 200 pigs.

More than 250 professionals from 29 countries came together for the first Axiom International Summit, a major milestone in Axiom’s international development.

African swine fever continues to spread across several regions of the world. In Europe, new outbreaks in domestic pigs have been confirmed in Hungary, Poland, Romania and Moldova, while the number of cases in wild boar since the beginning of the year has exceeded 6,200. At the same time, new outbreaks are being reported in Kenya, Tanzania, India and the Philippines, while Indonesia is trying to rebuild its pig sector after years of losses caused by ASF.

Canada and the United States are engaged in intensive negotiations in an effort to prevent new U.S. tariffs of 50% from taking effect at midnight on Wednesday. Around $20 billion worth of Canadian imports are at risk, while key sticking points include tariffs on vehicles, rules for calculating U.S. content in automobiles and Canada’s dairy supply management system.

South Africa’s pig sector is preparing for significant changes in breeding herd housing. The revised animal welfare code of the South African Pork Producers’ Organisation (SAPPO) provides for a complete phase-out of gestation crates from 1 January 2032 and increases the minimum space allowance to 2.25 m² per sow.

The African swine fever situation in Serbia remains serious: since the beginning of the year, 36,632 pigs have died or been culled because of the disease across 930 infected farms. In the past 17 days alone, losses increased by another 2,782 animals, although the authorities report some slowdown in the emergence of new outbreaks.

Five years after launching a national plan to reduce the spread of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS), 74.3% of Danish pig farms now have PRRS-negative status. Key factors behind the progress include a regional approach, transparency of farm health-status data, control of animal movements and close coordination between producers and veterinarians.

In 2025, the pig population in the Flemish Region declined by 3% compared with the previous year, to 4.9 million head. The most significant structural changes are taking place in the breeding herd: the number of sows in the region is now 43% lower than in 2005. According to Statistics Flanders, the decline in pig numbers in Flanders has continued for several consecutive years.

What will an efficient pig farm of the coming years look like? Automated, digital, resource-efficient and focused on animal welfare. These are the issues that will be discussed on 23 September at the International Congress “Profitable Pig Production” during the working panel “Pig Farm 2030 in Practice.”

From January to May 2026, the value of European Union pork exports fell by 13%, or €688 million, compared with the same period last year. The main reasons were lower export prices and reduced shipment volumes to key Asian markets, including China, Japan, the Philippines and Malaysia.

British consumers are willing to pay more for food if it contributes to better welfare for farm animals. According to research by the University of Reading, 66% of respondents said animal welfare concerns influence their food purchasing decisions. In particular, households were willing to spend around an additional £1.61 per week to support the phase-out of farrowing crates for sows.

African swine fever continues to cause significant losses to pig production in different regions of the world. While some countries are reporting new outbreaks in domestic pigs and wild boar, others are still struggling to rebuild production after previous waves of the disease. Sri Lanka is introducing a special livestock insurance scheme to support farmers, while the number of pig producers in the Dominican Republic has roughly halved in recent years.

Four new cases of African swine fever (ASF) have been confirmed in wild boar in Catalonia over the past week. All were detected within the high-risk zone, which currently covers 19 municipalities. The total number of positive cases since the beginning of the outbreak has risen to 379. The new cases were reported by the Ministry of Agriculture of the Government of Catalonia.