No price jumps in sight

When purchasing agricultural products in March, consumers can often count on the previous prices; slight increases are only possible towards the end of the month due to the upcoming Easter festival at the beginning of April. This is especially true for beef, veal and lamb, which will be increasingly in demand. However, there are no signs of sharp price jumps in this sector, nor on the egg market, where the supply will by and large suffice for the growing interest in buying.

For the time being, there are no measurable effects on the German poultry market from the outbreak of bird flu in Asia. Demand-covering quantities are therefore still available at stable prices, on the turkey market there could even be cheaper prices due to overhangs. Drinking milk, fresh milk products and cheese are also offered at slightly changed prices; Butter may be a little cheaper.

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South Americans soon to be world export champions

Brazil has significantly increased its chicken production in recent years, and there is no end in sight to the expansion. According to the Brazilian professional organization, production grew from 1989 million tons in 2002 to 2,0 million tons in 7,5. The average annual growth calculated over this period was 10,6 percent.

The growth trend continued in 2003, but flattened out. The production of chicken meat rose "only" by 3,8 percent to 7,8 million tons. This data is still preliminary, information from the US Department of Agriculture was also included in the calculation. For 2004, the US Ministry is forecasting slightly stronger growth in chicken production for Brazil, at five percent.

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But many companies are not yet ready for the EU

According to estimates by Polish economic experts, when Poland joins the EU at the beginning of May 2004, it will be the sixth largest food manufacturer in the EU in terms of sales. This puts Poland in the ranking behind Germany, France, Spain, Italy and Great Britain. However, according to the experts, the result could be different if Polish processing plants were forced to close after May 1 due to insufficient competitiveness or non-compliance with production standards.

This risk exists primarily in the meat industry, where currently only three percent of the approximately 4.000 slaughterhouses and meat processors have already completed the adjustment to EU hygiene standards. Almost 2.000 companies will complete the modernization measures by accession or in the transitional period granted by the EU. The future of around 1.700 companies has not yet been clarified. The EU regulations allow them to continue producing for the domestic market even after accession if they meet a minimum of criteria. Nevertheless, a few hundred companies will probably have to give up production.

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The American Department of Agriculture (USDA) has imposed an import ban on all processed meat products such as cold cuts and foie gras from France. As said from the USDA with reference to recent inspections of French meat processing plants, the hygiene conditions there do not meet US standards. Detailed explanations were not given. The French Ministry of Agriculture said its experts did not see any problems. A delegation was sent to Washington to explain the French point of view.

LME: http://www.lme-online.de

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Human-animal relationship examined

The number of suckler cows kept extensively is increasing. The animals have less contact with humans. The animals can become afraid, aggressive and thus more likely to have accidents. How the human-animal relationship develops in such extensive forms of husbandry was the subject of a dissertation at the University of Göttingen.

For this purpose, grazing trials with extensively reared suckler cows and heifers were carried out and the reaction of young bulls to routine measures originating from suckler cow husbandry was observed. After a two-month phase of three weekly encounters with people - supported by a taped voice - cows and heifers in extensive grazing lost significantly in their shyness towards people. If the visits were then reduced again, the animals showed their initial shyness again.

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New aid booklet

There are certain training methods to systematically introduce young people to the various tasks they are supposed to learn during their training. One of them is the four-step method (according to REFA). It is presented in this issue with its special features. However, background information on learning (learning process, learning types and learning success) is also provided. Examples of work instruction from horticulture, housekeeping, agriculture and horse management help to put the method into practice. The booklet is aimed at trainers, but also at those who want to acquire aptitude for training. After all, it can be used by teachers of vocational and work pedagogy in their lessons.

aid booklet "Work Instructions - A Guide for Trainers" 40 p., order no. 61-1177, ISBN 3-8308-0392-3, price: 2,00 EUR plus postage and packaging against invoice (discounts from 10 issues)

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Warning: Soy estrogens affect male fertility

The phytoestrogens contained in soy can impair male fertility and the development of the male genital organs. This was explained by Dr. Lorraine Anderson from the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast talks to the BBC. "What men often don't realize is that soy is found in a variety of foods," Anderson told the broadcaster. Cheap soy protein is added to many foods in order to save on expensive meat. "Meat" in food is often not real meat. Soy has the highest estrogen content of any food, the doctor added.

according to dr Sheena Lewis, Director of the Department of Reproductive Medicine at Queen's University, Belfast, the results are unequivocal. Men who consume large amounts of soy clearly have poorer sperm quality. "Men who have problems in this area should probably eat less soy," added Dr. Lewis added.

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"With Edeka Nord's decision to build a new meat plant in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, long and intensive talks and negotiations between the ministry and the company have come to a successful conclusion," said Minister of Agriculture Dr. Till Backhaus (SPD) on Tuesday at the state press conference in Schwerin. Edeka Nord will build a new meat plant in Valluhn near Zarrentin (Ludwigslust district), which is scheduled to go into operation in 2005. Around 40 million euros are to be invested in the new NORDfrische Center. This will create 250 new jobs and 30 training positions in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

"Not only are new jobs being created in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. In the long term, this will create new and secure sales opportunities for agricultural businesses in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania," emphasized Minister Backhaus. The added value in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is also increased due to the higher processing in the state. The company is already one of the most important buyers of organic products in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, as well as cattle and pigs that meet the strict criteria of Edeka's "good meat" program. "Here is an opportunity for farmers to further improve the quality of the animals for slaughter," said Minister Backhaus.

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Trading company invests EUR 40 million - 250 new jobs in Mecklenburg

EDEKA Handelsgesellschaft Nord mbH, Neumünster, will build a meat plant with the latest production technology in Valluhn near Zarrentin. The production company creates 250 new jobs and 30 apprenticeships in Mecklenburg-West Pomerania. The operation, in which EDEKA Nord intends to invest around EUR 2005 million, is expected to start up at the end of 40. The trading company thus gave up its original desire to settle in Pinneberg.

"The decision to turn our backs on Pinneberg was not easy for us," says Rolf Brandt, spokesman for the EDEKA Nord management. In view of the ongoing difficult planning process and the legal uncertainty surrounding the start of construction at the site there, it is no longer economically justifiable to continue postponing the urgently needed expansion of production capacities, emphasizes the EDEKA managing director.

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As reported by the Federal Statistical Office, the consumer price index in Germany is expected to increase by 2004% in February 2003 compared to February 0,9 (January 2004 compared to January 2003: +1,2%) according to available results from six federal states.

Compared to the previous month, there is a change of + 0,2%.

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Diabetes can develop during pregnancy - a danger to the unborn child

Approximately every 20th pregnant woman develops diabetes during pregnancy, gestational diabetes. It is known that some pregnant women are at higher risk of gestational diabetes, for example because of diabetes in the family. In most cases, however, doctors cannot predict exactly which woman will be affected. The consequences for the child can be significant. Early detection is possible - but not within the framework of the prenatal care funded by the health insurances, as emphasized by the Maternofetal Medicine Working Group (AGMFM) of the DGGG and the Working Group on Diabetes and Pregnancy of the German Diabetes Society.

The infants in the womb become overweight from the increased sugar content of the maternal blood that nourishes them. The overweight of the children increasingly leads to difficult birth processes, more often to caesarean sections. Undiscovered gestational diabetes is at least involved in around every 10th child who dies before birth, as Dr. Ute Schäfer-Graf, specialist at the maternity clinic of the Vivantes Clinic Berlin-Neukölln and spokeswoman for the working group, emphasizes. It is estimated that around 300 to 400 stillbirths per year in Germany are caused by undetected gestational diabetes. Many children have to stay longer in the children's hospital after such pregnancies because of blood sugar fluctuations. Children whose sugar metabolism was already stressed in the uterus - the most sensitive developmental phase in humans - have an increased risk of later developing obesity and diabetes.

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