African swine fever and avian influenza are set to be "the most widespread diseases that will impact local and export markets," the chief executive officer of Hamlet Protein says (pages 18-19).

 

It cannot be ascertained where the diseases will strike next and the extent to which they will rock markets, according to Erik Visser.

 

"Outbreaks in local markets will disrupt export flows, drive up costs for producers, and impact price levels," he elaborates.

 

Furthermore, regulation and trade policies can significantly influence the geography of animal protein production. China's imposing of anti-dumping duty rates on European pork sheds some light on the implications of trade actions; after September 2025, its imports of EU pork dropped from 45,000 tonnes in 2024 to 38-33,000 tonnes, a decline of 15-26%. Still, the bloc's share of Chinese pork imports jumped from 40-50% in the same period of 2024 to 54% (pages 13).

 

Cargill, on its part, argues that today's swine producers are surviving on "thin margins, where a 2% shift in feed conversion ratio (FCR) or a small dip in litter uniformity can decide profitability (pages 6-7)". Behind all these, mycotoxins are the problem. Cargill thus proposes being proactive through identifying, assessing, treating, and monitoring threats.

 

The swine industry cannot be spared of all its uncertainties, but the consistent strategy forward is to control the controllable. Continuous, proactive, and effective actions can stem the impact of challenges pressuring pork production.

 

The full article is published on the February 2026 issue of LIVESTOCK & FEED Business. To read the full report, please email to inquiry@efeedlink.com to request for a complimentary copy of the magazine, indicating your name, mailing address and title of the report.