Quiet demand

The supply of domestic lambs for slaughter was more than sufficient in December for the mostly calm demand, especially since the interest in lamb on the wholesale markets was judged to be lacking in impetus in some cases. The local suppliers still had to compete with cheaper goods from New Zealand; In addition, the large supply of seasonal poultry and game had a negative impact on lamb sales. The prices paid out for slaughter lambs therefore fluctuated slightly downwards in December.

For lambs billed at a flat rate, suppliers received an average of 3,55 euros per kilogram of slaughter weight in the last month of the previous year, which was five cents less than in the previous month. The proceeds from December 2002 were thus missed by 19 cents. The notifiable slaughterhouses accounted for around 1.300 lambs and sheep per week, sometimes on a flat-rate basis, sometimes according to commercial classes. This means that the offer was almost 17 percent smaller than in November, but the comparable figure for the previous year was exceeded by almost 15 percent.

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Per capita consumption of chickens and turkeys at 45 kg

The United States is the world's largest producer of poultry and all signs point to expansion there. According to preliminary figures from the US Department of Agriculture, chicken meat production in 2003 was 14,80 million tons, 1,2 percent more than the year before. For 2004 even stronger growth of around three percent to an estimated 15,25 million tons is expected.

Around 2,17 million tons of chicken production was exported in 2003, the export volume thus sank by 0,4 percent compared to 2002. According to American forecasts, exports will grow again in 2004, namely by an estimated five percent to 2,28 million Metric tons. The record value of 2,52 million tons from 2001 is still missed.

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If there are no BSE tests, education in the countries is progressing

In the past few days, there have been repeated reports in the media that cattle have not been tested for BSE for 24 months. BMVEL was first confronted with this problem in December 2003 and reacted immediately. Even if the statistical probability that one of the untested cattle had BSE is classified as very low (only 3 of 2003 million animals tested in 54 were positive), every cattle illegally placed on the market without a test is one too many. Science cannot rule out the danger that every single person will contract the new variant of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

Allegations by individual MPs that Federal Minister Künast had known about these problems since February 2003 but had not taken any action are unfounded. The letters quoted by the MEPs were immediately forwarded to the responsible federal states and processed there.

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As reported by the Federal Statistical Office at the "International Green Week 2004" in Berlin, according to preliminary results of the foreign trade statistics, food and beverages (excluding live animals) worth EUR 2003 billion were imported into Germany in the months of January to October 34,1. The exports of these products were valued at 24,2 billion euros.

Around two thirds of German imports of food and beverages come from the European Union. On the export side, almost three quarters go to trading partners in the EU. The most important supplier and destination country for food and beverages in the period from January to October 2003 was the Netherlands with a share of 18,5% (EUR 6,3 billion) of total imports and 15,3% (EUR 3,7 billion ) of total exports in this area. France and Italy followed in second and third place. Germany received 11,1% (EUR 3,8 billion) of the food goods from France and exported 12,0% (EUR 2,9 billion) there. 9,1% (EUR 3,1 billion) of food and beverages were imported from Italy and 12,4% (EUR 3,0 billion) delivered there.

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According to information from the Federal Statistical Office, the index of producer prices for commercial products increased by 2003% on average in 1,7 compared to the previous year. In 2002, producer prices fell by 2001% compared to 0,6. The price increase on average in 2003 is essentially due to strong price increases at the beginning of the year. In January 2003 alone, producer prices rose by 2002% compared to December 1,4, mainly due to energy price hikes and price increases as a result of tax increases (eco tax, tobacco tax). As the year progressed, there were only minor price fluctuations.

In December 2003 the producer price index was 1,8% higher than in December 2002. In November 2003 the annual rate of change was +2,0%. The index remained unchanged in December 2003 compared to the previous month.

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UEAPME denounces the Commission's proposal on health claims on food: excessive and unworkable for small businesses

In a letter sent on 14-01-2004 to David Byrne, the European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection and at the same time to the members of the European Parliament, the UEAPME, the European federation of crafts and small and medium-sized enterprises, criticizes the youngest Commission proposal to enact a general ban on health claims on food. The association described the Commission's proposal as excessive and unfeasible for small businesses.

"Unfortunately, this proposal is just one example of a trend in European food policy," said Hans-Werner Müller, Secretary General of UEAPME. "More and more often we find that regulations are prepared without checking whether small businesses and especially the so-called micro-enterprises are even able to meet these requirements."

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New campaign for master craftsmen

The battle for the fundamental preservation of the masterly qualification in butchery is beaten, the reformed craft order came into force at the beginning of the year. This is a good opportunity to emphasize once again the special quality standards of the master craftsman's certificate and to explicitly inform consumers about the high quality of products and services from the master craftsman's workshop.

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ZMP analyzes the last cattle count

The cattle stock in Germany has fallen as expected according to the preliminary results of the November cattle count. The generation will continue to decrease 2004. However, a noteworthy increase in slaughterhouse prices is not to be expected.

The cattle herd in Germany has declined again according to the provisional official results of the livestock census of November 2003: The cattle herd was compared to the previous year by 383.000 animals or 2,8 percent verkockt. As with the census in May 2003, the number of dairy cows only fell below average, namely by 0,9 percent. Even with males between the ages of one and two years, the stock decline with 0,7 percent was comparatively low, but in the case of animals up to one year, the minus with 4,7 percent was again more pronounced. The number of under-six-month-old calves has fallen by three percent, suggesting a further decline in the 2005 slaughterhouse supply.

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Offer partly larger than the demand

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The Federal Research Center for Viral Diseases of Animals in Riems has confirmed another BSE case in Bavaria. It is the second in this year in Bavaria and the third nationwide.

It is a female Fleckviehrind from the Upper Palatinate born at 16.06.1999. The BSE rapid test carried out on slaughter had reacted positively. In the final investigation by the Federal Research Center for Viral Diseases of Animals, TSE-typical prion protein was clearly detected.

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That we should eat low in salt, is nothing new - even if there is no solid reason for healthy people to clear the salt shaker. Also the suspected connection between salt and gastric cancer is not new; however, it is allegedly underpinned by a large new study from Japan: The BBC reports that the Japanese Cancer Research Institute's researchers in the British Journal of Cancer report a statistical link between the consumption of high-salt, traditional foods and the risk of developing stomach cancer.

It concludes British nutrition researcher Timothy Key, the study would also confirm the importance of a low-salt diet for Europeans - and the BBC promptly headline: salt increases stomach cancer risk. But the study did not show that ...

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