In the first six months of 2025, commercial slaughterhouses in Germany produced almost 3.4 million tonnes of meat, 0.1% less than in the same period last year. These preliminary data were released by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis).

The number of cases of African swine fever (ASF) among wild boars in the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) continues to grow. As of August, 57 infected animals have been confirmed.

In July, Ukraine’s pork market operators increased their import activity, according to the analytical department of the Association of Ukrainian Pig Breeders (AUPB).

Representatives of China's pig industry will gather in Beijing next week to discuss ways to reduce the number of sows by one million. According to Reuters, citing an official statement, this is part of a broader plan to combat oversupply of pork on the market and stabilise prices.

After a sharp decline in pig numbers in 2022 due to the consequences of the war in Ukraine, Ireland's pig farming industry is gradually emerging from the crisis. In the first half of 2025, pig slaughter volumes increased by 6.4% compared to the same period in 2024, according to the Teagasc agricultural research institute.

Pork exports from European Union countries to third countries continue to show positive dynamics. In the first five months of 2025, external supplies increased by 1.8% compared to the same period last year. These results strengthen the EU's position as one of the leaders in global pork trade.

China has announced the cancellation of tariff exemptions for meat imports from the United States, which could significantly affect bilateral trade between the two countries and increase tensions in economic relations between Washington and Beijing.

The situation with African swine fever (ASF) in Vietnam is rapidly deteriorating — over the past two weeks, the number of confirmed outbreaks has increased from 514 to 972, and the number of infected animals has exceeded 100,000. This was reported by the state press, citing data from the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture.

Pork from the United Kingdom will officially gain access to one of the world's most dynamic markets, Mexico, following the conclusion of eight years of negotiations between the governments of both countries. According to the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), 12 companies in England and Northern Ireland have been granted permission to export pork by-products to Mexico.

The Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) has submitted a report to the Prime Minister on an initiative to build multi-storey pig farms. The project, proposed by BAF Vietnam Agriculture Joint Stock Company and Xuan Thien Thanh Hoa Joint Stock Company, involves the creation of a six-storey ‘smart’ farm capable of housing 64,000 sows and producing 1.6 million commercial pigs annually.

Guillermo Burset explains why the Spanish pork market suffered an unexpected collapse in the middle of summer.

African swine fever (ASF) continues to spread rapidly around the world, affecting new regions in Asia, Europe and Africa. During July 2025, dozens of new outbreaks of the disease were recorded in both domestic pigs and wild fauna, indicating a threatening situation for global pig farming.

The United States and South Korea have reached a new trade agreement that removes South Korean import tariffs on selected American goods, including agricultural products and automobiles. At the same time, the deal imposes a 15% tariff on Korean goods entering the U.S.

The federal state of Thuringia (Germany) has once again demonstrated its commitment to animal welfare in livestock farming. Over the past few weeks, the local government has allocated €3.5 million to support farms investing in improved housing conditions for livestock. The largest portion of this sum — €2.8 million — is specifically aimed at raising standards in pig farming.

Exports of US pork trended lower in May, due primarily to steep declines in shipments to China, according to data released by USDA and compiled by the US Meat Export Federation (USMEF). 

Global livestock production, including fish and seafood, is projected to grow by 14% over the next 10 years. Per capita consumption of animal-based products worldwide is expected to increase by 6%, according to a new forecast report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

Amid the threat of a new trade escalation following the U.S. announcement of plans to impose tariffs of up to 30% on a broad range of European products starting August 1, 2025, a key meeting took place this weekend between European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and U.S. President Donald Trump. The result was a breakthrough economic agreement aimed at stabilizing transatlantic trade relations.

In the first half of 2025, China imported 1.15 million tonnes of pork and pork by-products, of which 620,000 tonnes were by-products. This means that by-products accounted for 54% of the country’s total pork imports, according to data from the General Administration of Customs of China.

The outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) among wild boars in the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) is intensifying — by the end of July, 48 cases were officially confirmed, compared to 36 in mid-month. The disease continues to spread despite implemented control measures.