Never have the fortunes of the UK and EU pig producer been more tied-in to the ups and downs of the global marketplace than they are today.
For the UK, this is only going to become more pronounced as we leave the EU and seek new trading partners, bringing threats and opportunities in equal measure.
That is why we are delighted to announce a top quality field of speakers from across the world to open up Pigs 2022 – The Opportunities, a two-day event in June organised by Pig World and AHDB Pork.
The first day in Solihull will be dedicated to the International Outlook Conference. Speakers will include:
Richard Brown, director of food research and consultancy firm Gira, who will give an overview of the global outlook for the next 10 years, including the likely winners and losers
Nick Giordano, from the US National Pork Producers Council, who will outline his vision for what the US pig industry might look like in the Trump era.
Asger Krogsgaard, deputy chairman of Danish Crown, who will give his opinions on how Denmark will face the challenges of the global market over the next five years, including how Brexit will impact on trade with the UK.
Pigs 2022: The Opportunities – key details
When: June 6 and 7, 2017
Where: The St Johns Hotel, Solihull, centrally located and convenient for Birmingham International Airport and Railway Station and the M42
Day One: International Outlook Conference and dinner – with invited guests from all over the world
Day Two: Innovation Conference, free to attend to all English levy payers
How to book: Register on www.Pigs2022.com
Chair for the day will be AHDB strategy director Mick Sloyan. He said: “Wherever you look, there is so much uncertainty surrounding the global market.
“In the short- and medium-term, while the EU market appears stable for now, what happens in places like China and the US will have a profound impact on the EU pig sector.
“And looking ahead to Brexit, but also the wider global trading situation, there are many questions to be answered. How will Brexit affect the EU pork trade? What sort of new exporting opportunities will open up for the UK? How will we cope with the threat of lower standards?
“We are absolutely delighted to have secured such a high quality international field to discuss exactly these sorts of issues at Pigs 2022 – the Opportunities.
“And there are more to come – watch out for further announcements!”
US and EU pig sectors gear up for battle on the global markets
The US pig herd is expanding, despite lower prices at the back end of last year, with potentially significant consequences for the EU pig sector.
With new capacity in the slaughtering sector and flat domestic consumption, the US pig industry is expected to target export markets, including those currently taking high volumes of EU pigmeat, AHDB strategy director Mick Sloyan said.
But if EU pig producers view the US as a major threat, the feeling is mutual, according to one of our conference speakers.
Interviewed recently in a US farming publication, Nick Giordano highlighted the competition the US faces from Europe. The US has been the lowest-cost producer in the world for 10 years, but the strong dollar has helped its competitors, including the EU, in key markets.
Furthermore, President Trump’s decision to pull out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership has allowed competitors like the EU to potentially cut into US exports in places like Japan and Vietnam, he said. “If competing nations get more favourable access to these markets, it’s going to affect our producers.”
Getting down to the detail
Pigs 2022 – The Opportunities will combine the ‘bigger picture’ with sessions that focus down onto the nitty gritty of the everyday pig business.
On day two, the Innovation Conference, separate parallel sessions will focus on designing a handling system for outdoors production and monitoring and utilising daily growth and feed conversion ratio (FCR) data for indoor production.
This will include a review of the current data systems available on the market.
