The French government has announced stricter controls on the import of a range of food products in an effort to ease tensions among farmers, who have been protesting what they see as unfair competition from countries with looser production and food safety regulations.

As of the end of 2025, more than 73% of pig farms in Denmark officially hold a status free from Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS). These results indicate significant progress of the national PRRS reduction programme, which has been implemented since 2022.

In the African swine fever (ASF) outbreak among wild boars in the Cerdanyola area of Catalonia, 18 additional dead animals have been confirmed. This brings the total number of confirmed cases to 47, the region’s Minister of Agriculture reported.

The investigation into the origin of the African swine fever (ASF) outbreak among wild boar in Catalonia has taken an unexpected turn. A study commissioned by the regional government indicates that the virus detected near Barcelona is likely a new or previously undocumented strain and did not originate from the IRTA-CReSA laboratory.

The Catalan authorities have confirmed the discovery of two more dead wild boars infected with African swine fever. Both cases were recorded within the already established high-risk zone, allowing the current restrictive measures to remain in place without expanding the affected area.

African swine fever remains a serious challenge for global pig farming: a confirmed outbreak in north-eastern India is accompanied by strict quarantine measures, while new cases among domestic and wild pigs are being reported in countries in the Asia-Pacific region and Europe, increasing the risks to biosecurity and international trade.

The pig farm of the KSG Agro agricultural holding in the Kherson region has been hit three times by Russian drones and missiles since 8 December. This was reported by United24, citing comments from the company's management.

The introduction and revision of trade tariffs by the administration of US President Donald Trump is increasingly worrying pork producers in both Asia and North America. In Thailand, farmers are sounding the alarm over a possible influx of cheap, duty-free American pork, while in Canada, the industry is concerned about the upcoming review of the free trade agreement with the US and Mexico.

After an almost nine-month break, African swine fever (ASF) has been confirmed again in Hong Kong. The new outbreak was officially reported by the animal health authority of the Special Administrative Region in a notification to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH). The source of the infection remains unknown.

The French government on Friday urged farmers to declare a so-called “Christmas truce” and halt road blockades and mass protests during the holiday period. At the same time, leading farming unions said their next steps would depend directly on the prime minister’s response to the sector’s key demands, Reuters reported.

Spain has confirmed a total of 27 cases of African swine fever (ASF) infection in wild boars. All infected animals were found north of Barcelona, although the most recent case was detected about 5 km from previous sites, raising additional concerns among veterinary and animal health authorities.

Canada is assessing the prospects for the commercial use of genetically engineered pigs while simultaneously pausing changes to its regulatory policy on cloned livestock, according to a recent report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA-FAS).

The European Union may sign the controversial free trade agreement with the South American Mercosur bloc as early as January, despite failing to secure sufficient backing at this week’s EU summit. This was reported by Reuters, citing statements from EU leaders following the meeting.

Japan has agreed to resume imports of certain consignments of Spanish pork from the area near Barcelona where an outbreak of African swine fever (ASF) was previously detected. The decision applies to products that were processed and refrigerated before the virus was identified in the region. This was reported by the head of the Agriculture Department of the autonomous community of Catalonia, commenting on Japan’s decision.

Brazil is expected to rise to third place in the global ranking of pork exporters in 2025, overtaking Canada. This forecast was released by the Brazilian Animal Protein Association (ABPA), which anticipates a 10% increase in the country’s pork export volumes by the end of the year.

An investigation into the causes of the African swine fever (ASF) outbreak detected among wild boar in Catalonia is ongoing in Spain. As part of the probe, Spanish police have carried out a search at a state-funded scientific laboratory near Barcelona. This was reported by Reuters, citing regional law enforcement authorities.

An international group of scientists has intensified research into the natural resistance of wild African pigs to African swine fever (ASF), aiming to move closer to the development of an effective vaccine. Researchers from The Pirbright Institute in the United Kingdom, in collaboration with the Roslin Institute, are focusing on the immune responses of both domestic and wild pigs, including African warthogs and red river hogs, which do not develop ASF despite being able to carry the virus.

Canada has reached an agreement with the Philippines on the application of an African swine fever (ASF) zoning mechanism in the event of a potential detection of the disease. The development was announced by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). The arrangement is part of Canada’s broader preparedness measures against biological threats and is intended to preserve access to the Philippine market should an ASF outbreak occur in the country.

The European Union is approaching a decisive stage in the process of signing a trade agreement with the South American Mercosur bloc, which could become the largest trade deal in EU history in terms of tariff reductions. At the same time, the agreement remains highly contentious and faces strong opposition from several member states—most notably France, Poland, Hungary, and Italy—without whose support the deal could be blocked.