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.

China has expanded market access for Brazilian pork by authorising imports of a broader range of offal and by-products. According to the Brazilian Animal Protein Association (ABPA), the new conditions could enable shipments of more than 100,000 tonnes of such products per year and generate over $100 million in additional revenue for Brazil’s pork sector.

The financial situation in the Dutch pig sector has deteriorated noticeably in 2026 after three exceptionally strong years. According to ABN AMRO, low pig and piglet prices are not enough to offset high costs for feed, manure disposal, labour and energy, meaning farm liquidity is expected to continue declining over the next six months.

German pig producers are increasingly prioritising secure sales, reduced price risk and liquidity. According to the 2026 ISN survey, 68% of finishing pig producers are willing to enter into contracts if these provide guaranteed market access and acceptable pricing models. At the same time, most producers insist on retaining an independent weekly mechanism for setting the base price.

The German federal state of Hesse is introducing a standardised digital system for reporting dead wild boar. The new tool is intended to speed up the detection of possible African swine fever (ASF) cases and facilitate the work of veterinary authorities.

Brazil has secured new export authorisations for pig products. China has opened its market to internal offal, skins and bones from Brazilian pigs, while Antigua and Barbuda has authorised imports of pork, meat products and offal.

Between January and September 2026, 7,455 outbreaks of African swine fever (ASF) were recorded in countries covered by the ADIS system: 733 in domestic pigs and 6,722 in wild boar. The overall number of outbreaks fell by 16.6% compared with the same period of 2025, but the situation in domestic pigs remained virtually unchanged.

The Dutch government has approved a new package of measures to improve farm animal welfare, including the gradual phase-out of tail docking in pigs. The new rules will be introduced progressively through 2040, with the first provisions potentially taking effect as early as 2028.

More than 10,000 pigs have been slaughtered or culled in Switzerland following an outbreak of enzootic pneumonia in a production network spanning farms across several cantons. The canton of Lucerne has been the most severely affected, with ten breeding farms and one finishing farm placed under restrictions.

Scotland’s pig sector continues to operate under pressure from low prices and rising production costs. Despite a modest increase in pig prices in September, they remain 10–12% below last year’s levels, while sow slaughter at Scottish plants has risen by 52% compared with 2025, potentially significantly reducing the sector’s production base in 2027.

A case of African swine fever (ASF) has been confirmed in a wild boar in the Barnim district of the German state of Brandenburg — the first in the region in more than four and a half years. The infected animal was found within an already designated high-risk zone along the Oder River.

The European Commission has adopted uniform operating rules for pig and poultry farms aimed at reducing ammonia, nitrogen and phosphorus emissions. The new requirements will start to apply between 2030 and 2032, depending on farm size, and are intended to replace differing national approaches with common minimum standards.

Nine new positive cases of African swine fever (ASF) have been detected in Barcelona and surrounding municipalities. All were recorded within the designated high-risk zone, according to the Catalan government’s Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food.

Italy’s Legislative Decree No. 30/2026, implementing EU Directive 2024/825 on protecting consumers from misleading environmental claims, entered into force on 27 September 2026. The new rules prohibit unsubstantiated claims such as “eco”, “green” or “sustainable” and apply not only to environmental characteristics but also to social claims, including those related to animal welfare.

In January–September 2026, Brazil exported 1.192 million tonnes of pork and pork products, 6.2% more than in the same period last year. Export revenue increased by 1.3% to $2.737 billion, according to the Brazilian Association of Animal Protein (ABPA).

In September, prices for both live hogs and pork carcases increased in Brazil for the first time in 2026. According to Cepea, the market was supported by tighter pork supply and stronger domestic demand, although prices for some cuts declined during the month.

The first outbreak of African swine fever (ASF) in domestic pigs in Poland’s Podlaskie Voivodeship in 2026 has been confirmed. The outbreak was detected on a farm in Półkoty, where 550 pigs were kept.

Ho Chi Minh City police have uncovered a group suspected of selling more than 10,000 tonnes of pigs raised using banned salbutamol. The value of the products that entered the market since January 2026 is estimated at more than VND 600 billion ($22.8 million). Nine suspects have been detained and face charges including food safety violations and bribery.

Danish Crown is changing its organisational structure as part of its strategy through 2030: seven of the company’s eight business units will be brought together under one structure with shared management of production, sales and product development. The company also plans to strengthen its focus on the European market and increase the share of meat from cooperative owners that is further processed from around 25% to 50% by the end of 2030.

The Czech Republic is launching a new programme to rebuild its pig sector, with digitalisation, automation and processing modernisation at its core. The country’s pork self-sufficiency rate fell to a record low of 46.1% in 2025, prompting the government to stimulate domestic production and improve the sector’s competitiveness.