Scrutinizing Pork Price Volatility in the European Union over the Last Decade

The aim of this study was to analyze the factors that can influence pork prices, particularly the effects of various types of fluctuations on the volatility of pork prices in the European Union as a whole market and individual EU countries. The research material consisted of monthly time series of pork prices collected from 2009 to 2020. These data originated from the Integrated System of Agricultural Information coordinated by the Polish Ministry of Agriculture. Information on global pork production volumes is from the Food and Agriculture Organization Statistics (FAOSTAT) database. Time series of prices were described by the multiplicative model, and seasonal breakdown was performed using the Census X-11 method. The separation of the cyclical component of the trend was performed using the Hodrick–Prescott filter. In 2019, pork production in the European Union totaled 23,954 thousand tonnes, which accounted for 21.8% of global pork production. The largest producers were Germany, Spain, and France, supplying more than half of the pork to the entire European Union market. Pork prices in the EU, averaged over the 2009–2020 period were Euro (EUR) 154.63/100 kg. The highest prices for pork were recorded in Malta, Cyprus, Bulgaria, and Greece, whereas the lowest prices in Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, and France. The breakdown of the time series for pork prices confirmed that, in the period from 2009 to 2020, pork prices exhibited considerable fluctuations of both a long-term and medium-term nature as well as short-term seasonal and irregular fluctuations. Prices were higher than average in summer (with a peak in June–August) and lower in winter (January–March). Overall, the proportions of different types of changes in pork prices were as follows: random changes—7.9%, seasonal changes—36.6%, and cyclical changes—55.5%.

Salmonella enterica 4,[5],12:i:- an emerging threat for the swine feed and pork production industry

Salmonella continues to be a significant cause of foodborne illnesses in human medicine. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Salmonella as the second leading cause of foodborne illness in the United States, and the leading cause of both hospitalizations and deaths. Salmonella enterica 4,[5],12:i:- (STM) is a monophasic variant of S. Typhimurium and it is an emerging threat to both human and animal health. STM was first identified in the 1980’s from poultry products and has become increasingly prevalent in meat products including pork. STM has also been identified in swine farms as well as feed manufacturing environments and feed itself. Similar pulse-field gel electrophoresis profiles have been observed between human clinical cases and the STM samples originating from swine feed. These related profiles suggest a link between swine ingesting contaminated feed and the source of foodborne illness in human. The objective of this article was to better understand the history of STM and the possible pathway between swine feed to the household table. Continued research is necessary to better understand how STM can enter both the feed supply chain and the pork production chain to avoid contamination of pork products destined for human consumption.

No part gets left behind: Tiled nanopore sequencing of whole ASFV genomes stitched together using Lilo

African Swine Fever virus (ASFV) is the causative agent of a deadly, panzootic disease, infecting wild and domesticated suid populations. Contained for a long time to the African continent, an outbreak of a particularly infectious variant in Georgia in 2007 initiated the spread of the virus around the globe, severely impacting pork production and local economies. The virus is highly contagious and has a mortality of up to 100% in domestic pigs. It is critical to track the spread of the virus, detect variants associated with pathology, and implement biosecurity measures in the most effective way to limit its spread. Due to its size and other limitations, the 170-190kbp large DNA virus has not been well sequenced with fewer than 200 genome sequences available in public repositories. Here we present an efficient, low-cost method of sequencing ASFV at scale. The method uses tiled PCR amplification of the virus to achieve greater coverage, multiplexability and accuracy on a portable sequencer than achievable using shotgun sequencing. We also present Lilo, a pipeline for assembling tiled amplicon data from viral or microbial genomes without relying on polishing against a reference, allowing for structural variation and hypervariable region assembly other methods fail on. The resulting ASFV genomes are near complete, lacking only parts of the highly repetitive 3’- and 5’telomeric regions, and have a high level of accuracy. Our results will allow sequencing of ASFV at optimal efficiency and high throughput to monitor and act on the spread of the virus.

TECHNOLOGICAL REQUIREMENTS FOR MECHANIZATION PORK PRODUCTION

The purpose of the research is – develop technological requirements for technical means for pork production on pig farms, adapted to EU standards. Research methods. During the development of technological requirements for mechanization of pork production on pig farms, adapted to EU standards, the basic regulatory documents were used: EU Directive 91/630 of 19.11.1991; EU Directive 2008/120 of 18.12.2008. Technological requirements for mechanization of pork production are formed by the following components: keeping pigs, feeding pigs, watering pigs, removing manure, creating a microclimate, veterinary services. Research results.Technological requirements for mechanization of pork production were developed for the first time in Ukraine. The design of equipment for keeping pigs must provide conditions for keeping animals close to natural. In accordance with EU regulatory requirements, free conditions for keeping animals must be ensured. The technological area of the machine per animal must be at least: 0.15 m2 for pigs with an average live weight of up to 10 kg; 0,2 m2 for pigs with an average live weight of 10 kg to 20 kg; 0,3 m2 for pigs with an average live weight of 20 kg to 30 kg; 0,4 m2 for pigs with an average live weight of 30 kg to 50 kg; 0,55 m2 for pigs with an average live weight of 50 kg to 85 kg; 0,65 m2 for pigs with an average live weight of 85 to 110 kg; 1,0 m2 for pigs with an average live weight of more than 110 kg. Dimensions of individual machines for keeping pigs: width - 60 cm, length - 170 cm, area 1,0 m2; sows - width - 65 cm, length - 190 cm, area 1,2 m2. The number of pigs in the technological group must be at least 6 heads. The minimum technological area for individual keeping of an adult boar should be 6,0-7,5 m2. The technological area of the machine for keeping the breeding boar and sow during mating must be at least 10 m2. Piglets kept near sows should be provided with a comfortable heated area. During group keeping of pigs, their simultaneous access to feed must be ensured. When creating drinking bowls for pigs, it is necessary to take into account the technological requirements regarding the need of pigs for water and its flow rate. Pigs should not be kept in conditions with high excess air temperature and high relative humidity. When creating equipment for pig breeding, it is necessary to take into account the negative impact of air currents in piggeries on animals. It is not allowed to keep pigs constantly in the dark. Conclusions. For the first time in Ukraine, technological requirements for technical means for pork production on pig farms, adapted to EU standards, have been developed, taking into account the following components: keeping, feeding, watering pigs, manure removal, creating a microclimate, veterinary services. Technological requirements will be useful in the creation and implementation of modern machinery and equipment for pig farms.

Antimicrobial Use and Susceptibility of Indicator Escherichia coli in Finnish Integrated Pork Production

In pigs, antimicrobial use (AMU) practices vary at different production phases between herds and between countries. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) development is linked to AMU but recognized as a multi-factorial issue, and thus, any information increasing knowledge of AMU and AMR relationships is valuable. We described AMU and screened the carriage of different AMR phenotypes of indicator Escherichia coli in 25 selected Finnish piglet-producing and finishing herds that formed nine birth-to-slaughter production lines. Moreover, we studied associations between AMU and AMR in both herd types and throughout the production line. Treatment records were obtained from the national Sikava register for 1year, and AMU was quantified as mg/PCU (population correction unit) and TIs (treatment incidences). For phenotypic antimicrobial susceptibility testing, ten pen-level pooled feces samples (n=250) in each herd were collected from one room representing the oldest weaned piglets or the oldest finishing pigs. Majority of the medications (96.8%) was administered parenterally, and penicillin was the predominant antimicrobial in every herd. More different antimicrobial substances were used in piglet-producing than in finishing herds (median 5 and 1, respectively, p<0.001). As mg/PCU, sows had the highest AMU and suckling piglets had the highest TIs, whereas finishing pigs were the least treated age group. The proportion of susceptible indicator E. coli isolates of all studied isolates was 59.6%. Resistance was found most commonly against tetracycline, sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim, and ampicillin, and multi-resistant (MR) isolates (46.5% of all resistant isolates) were resistant to a maximum of four different antimicrobials. Quinolone resistance was rare, and no resistance against 3rd-generation cephalosporins, meropenem, azithromycin, colistin, gentamicin, or tigecycline was detected. The main associations between AMU and AMR were found at antimicrobial group level when use was compared with the presence of AMR phenotypes. The proportion of resistant isolates was not associated with AMU, and herd size was not associated with either AMU or AMR. We suggest that the use of narrow-spectrum beta-lactams as a primary treatment option and lack of wide application of oral group medications potentially favors a good resistance pattern in integrated pork production.

Use of Mediterranean By-Products to Produce Entire Male Large White Pig: Meat and Fat Quality

A total of 70 male growing non-castrated pigs (Large White), with a 23.07 ± 2.87 kg average body weight (BW), were randomly allocated to three treatments in a 103 day trial: a CONTROL diet and two experimental diets, ALLIUM (5 g/kg of Allium spp. extract) and OLIVE (100 g/kg of olive pulp). Animals were slaughtered at 115 kg live body weight. Meat and fat quality were analyzed. Animals fed ALLIUM and OLIVE had higher water holding capacity (WHC) than those fed the control diet. No significant differences were observed between groups for cooking loss, drip losses and color CIELab. No antioxidant effect was observed on an oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) test. Animals fed OLIVE presented a more unsaturated fatty acid profile than CONTROL and ALLIUM. Meat from ALLIUM group and OLIVE showed her values of brightness and meat odor than CONTROL. Mean scores of sensory analyses (color, odor, flavor and juiciness) of cooked samples were similar for the three treatments, with the meat samples from the ALLIUM and OLIVE treatments being less hard. Consumers did not reflect a preference for any of the treatments. Both by-products could be used for pork production.

482 Awardee Talk: Challenges and Opportunities Facing Mineral Nutrition in the Next Decade

The science associated with mineral nutrition is evolving at an accelerated pace. Some topics of investigation have persisted for decades; typical examples include clarification of mineral requirements, evaluation of mineral sources, definition of mineral bioavailability and physiological and metabolic interactions among minerals, to name a few. The fact that these topics have endured for so long serves to illustrate their importance to our craft, as well as the increasing sophistication of the science available to delve more deeply into our understanding of mineral nutrition. Newer topics that involve minerals directly and/or indirectly are attracting increasing attention – and for good reason. As one example, there is a growing body of data pointing to oxidative stress as a relevant issue in modern pork production. As another, the interaction of minerals with fiber has received considerable interest in the past, but recently, the topic has been further elevated by health and environmental concerns. While the above might be considered typical classical nutrition topics, mineral nutrition can also be viewed in a more holistic manner. To what extent is mineral nutrition involved in the observed increase in sow mortality in the past decade? How can and should mineral nutrition be included in precision feeding programs? What further roles of mineral nutrition might be involved in environmental sustainability? Where do we stand on the involvement of mineral nutrition in acid-base balance and does it have greater value in production today than previously considered? This presentation will consider current examples of how mineral nutrition impacts applied swine nutrition as well as overall pork production.