Germany and South Africa are intensifying negotiations to ease trade restrictions related to African Swine Fever (ASF) and have agreed to strengthen cooperation in combating Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD).

A new free online course, “Pig Welfare: Best Practices and Inspection Guidelines,” has been launched on the AgriAcademy educational platform. The course was developed with the support of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

An outbreak of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) has been confirmed on a mixed cattle and sheep farm on the Greek island of Lesvos. Although pigs are also susceptible to the virus, no cases have been detected in pigs so far.

The South Korean government plans to strengthen quarantine and biosecurity measures at pig farms, slaughterhouses, and feed production facilities after the African swine fever (ASF) virus was detected in pig feed.

In 2025, the European Union slightly increased pig slaughter after a sharp decline in production in previous years. In total, 227 million pigs were slaughtered across the 27 EU member states, which is more than 5 million head higher than in 2024.

African swine fever (ASF) in wild boar has been detected for the first time in the Barcelona district of Spain. Following the identification of 11 new cases, the total number of infected animals has risen to 227.

In 2026, Brazil is expected to increase both pork production and export volumes thanks to strong external demand, more affordable feed supplies, and competitive prices on the global market. Analysts anticipate that the sector will maintain high profitability and set new export records.

In the second half of the year, U.S. pork exports to South Korea began to recover after a slow start. However, overall shipment volumes still remained below 2024 levels by the end of the year.

The military escalation involving Iran, Israel, and the United States does not directly affect the global swine industry, but it may have significant indirect consequences for the sector. The main concern is the sharp increase in energy prices, which will affect production costs in livestock farming.

In 2026, pork production, consumption, and imports in Japan are expected to remain at roughly the same level as in the previous year. Market stability is attributed to high production costs, limited opportunities for expansion, and steady consumer demand for pork.

Twenty-one additional cases of African swine fever (ASF) have been detected in wild boar in Catalonia. The total number of confirmed infected animals since the first case at the end of November has now reached 216, while more than 1,700 animals tested have returned negative results.

The “thaw” has reached the Ukrainian pork market as well, according to analysts from the Association of Ukrainian Pig Breeders (AUPB), citing the results of their weekly monitoring of procurement prices for slaughter pigs.

Pork prices in Brazil continued to decline in February, reaching their lowest level since April 2024. At the same time, the drop in prices has made pork more competitive compared with beef and poultry.

The Council of the European Union and the European Parliament have reached a provisional agreement on amendments to the regulation on the common organisation of agricultural markets (CMO) and the rules of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The new provisions aim to strengthen farmers’ position in the agrifood supply chain and protect the denominations of meat products to ensure transparency for consumers.

The Council of the European Union has formally adopted a regulation introducing safeguard mechanisms for agricultural products within the framework of the EU–Mercosur trade agreements. The measure will allow protective actions to be applied more rapidly if rising imports threaten EU producers.

The Chinese government has called on pork producers to limit production amid an oversupply on the market and weak consumer demand. Falling pork prices in the country have persisted for several years, prompting authorities to seek mechanisms to stabilize the market.

In 2025, Portugal recorded an increase in pig slaughter volumes. The total number of pigs slaughtered rose by 3.8% year-on-year, while the total weight of production increased by 6.6%.

The Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine (AMCU) has launched inspections in the petroleum products market following a sharp increase in fuel prices at gas stations. The authority is analyzing the actions of market operators for possible violations of competition protection legislation.

Vietnam’s animal protein sector is undergoing rapid modernization and experiencing growing demand, driven by economic development, rising household incomes, and the expansion of the middle class. According to Rabobank, pork and poultry will remain the main drivers of the market in the coming years.

Brazil has reported progress in negotiations with South Korea aimed at expanding market access for agricultural products, particularly pork and beef. Key steps include the certification of egg exports, veterinary audits, and the expansion of the list of Brazilian states eligible to supply pork.