NEWS 104 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE March 2026 RaboResearch published its updated Global Pork Quarterly Q1 2026 report. According to the latest report, global pork markets in 2026 are defined by tightening herds, shifting trade policies, and persistent disease pressures. The sow herd is likely to decline in 2026 as the industry works to rebalance supply and demand. China aims to cut the sow herd to address oversupply, targeting a reduction of 1m head by leading companies between September 2025 and January 2026. Combined with the reduction by medium-sized players, the Chinese sow herd is projected to decline to 39m head in 2026, down from 40.3m head in September 2025. In the US, sow rebuilding remains slow, given biosecurity challenges. The EU faces rising pressures from ASF outbreaks in wild boars in Spain, from November 2025, and from China’s anti-dumping duties, following only limited sow herd growth in 2025. The analysts from RaboResearch say: "We expect sufficient supply to keep prices subdued in 1H, with tighter supply in 2H supporting a price rebound. Across the globe, productivity improvement remains a key focus, as producers navigate ongoing challenges." Trade is expected to remain volatile due to policy changes. According to the report, global pork trade showed an uneven performance in 2025, as Brazil recorded 12% export growth, while other key exporting countries, such as the US and Canada, saw single-digit declines. Into 2026, major importing countries, including China and Mexico, are adjusting import policies. Mexico will introduce import quota to non-FTA suppliers and launch anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigations into US pork, while China imposes anti-dumping duties on EU pork imports. Japan and the Philippines, major importers, still ban Spanish pork due to ASF concerns. All these developments suggest trade volatility will continue in 2026. Read more>> Nasekomo, a European biotechnology company specializing in industrial insect bioconversion systems, and Reinartz, a German mechanical engineering company with more than 170 years of experience in plant engineering and mechanical separation process technologies, signed a strategic partnership agreement to accelerate the industrial-scale deployment of insect bioconversion solutions worldwide. The agreement sets the basis for a long-term technological and commercial collaboration focused on scaling the industry through a bioconversion technology, developed by Nasekomo – Automated Insect Rearing Beds & Bots (AIR2B). The platform, an innovative technology inspired by vertical farms, redefines industrial insect farming through deep-substrate rearing, robotics and full environmental control — all without the use of crates. Under the partnership framework, the two companies will jointly work on the platform’s commercialization and global deployment. “The insect industry does not lack innovation or market demand,” said Marc Bolard, Co-founder and CEO of Nasekomo. “What it needs is proven industrial-grade technology — systems that can be produced consistently, operated efficiently, and integrated into existing food, feed, and waste-processing value chains across the globe.” Read more>> RaboResearch: Global pork markets take cautious growth path in 2026 Strategic alliance targets industrial-scale insect bioconversion Photo: Manop Boonpeng I Shutterstock
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