In the late 1990s, the Spanish swine industry faced a crucial decision … whether to sustain rapid growth or proceed with caution. Despite uncertainties, the industry chose growth, leading to 35,5 million pigs slaughtered in Spain by 2000. The industry saw a pivotal shift towards vertical integration in 2000, when a major integrator group acquired a key slaughterhouse in Barcelona. However, challenges arose from June 2001 to May 2002 with outbreaks of classical swine fever, causing a drop in pig prices and the exit of some farmers. Despite this setback, growth resumed, and in 2008, China approved Spanish slaughterhouses as pork suppliers, marking the beginning of a significant chapter in the industry’s history.
Click here to read more about this headline on pig333.com, or click here to watch the full PigX1 presentation by Natasha Snyman, chief operating officer at Chemuniqué, to learn more about the Spanish swine industry.
The South African Pork Producers’ Organisation (SAPPO) coordinates industry interventions and collaboratively manages risks in the value chain to enable the sustainability and profitability of pork producers in South Africa.
