Coming soon: Pork and bacon shortage (Prices to double by next summer)

American Thinker ^ | 09/26/2012 | Rick Moran

[SeekAndFind]

A British pork industry group is predicting serious shortages next year that are now "unavoidable."

Fox News:

A world shortage of pork and bacon next year is "now unavoidable," a British industry group said in a press release.

Britain's National Pig Association (NPA) says that pig herds in Europe are shrinking. As if that isn't bad enough, this trend is "being mirrored around the world," the group says in the release. Drought conditions, especially in the U.S. and Russia, have taken a toll on the price of the grain crops used for animal feed, and world food prices are expected to reach record highs in 2013.

The number of slaughtered pigs could drop by as much as 10 percent in the second half of next year, the NPA says. This would double the price of European pork and pork products.

The NPA is advising supermarkets to pay Britain's pig farmers a fair price to counter the high price of feed or "risk empty spaces on their shelves next year," said NPA chairman Richard Longthorp.

In the United States, CBS Chicago reports that the price of pork belly has increased to $1.40 a pound in August, up from June's price of 94 cents a pound.   

[MrB]

Using a barrel as a “smokehouse”:

http://www.lsuagcenter.com/NR/rdonlyres/92F96C14-3008-41AF-BEF6-138FA0107F63/13742/8203BarrelSmokehouse.pdf

[melissa_in_ga]

What about the coyotes? I can see putting a hen house out there, and covering it with mesh, but the hogs? I dunno.

[Victor]

How right you are....!!

Given that wild pigs are such a nuisance, I would think that this is an opportune time....

[Darnright]

>Do you have any link to contrary information regarding Trichinosis incidents?<

I have to thank you for asking this, as I found the the search for your info pretty fascinating. Interestingly enough, from this link, Trichinella spiralis hasn’t been found in some tested feral hog populations. That said, there are other parasites that infest the animals, in addition to disease, that makes cooking the pork very well a prudent course of action.

http://agrilife.org/texnatwildlife/feral-hogs/biology-of-feral-hogs/

From the link:

Diseases and Parasites

Springer (1977) reviewed literature on parasites of feral hogs in the coastal population on Aransas National Wildlife Refuge. This population was heavily parasitized, with 100% of animals infected with swine kidney worm (Stephanura dentatus), with cases of necrosis of the lungs and liver and associated bacterial infections. Other internal parasites found included lungworms (Metastrongylus spp.), roundworms (Ascaris suum), hookworms (Globocephalus urosubulatus), and various stomach worms.

A serologic survey of 10 feral hog populations in Texas revealed that pseudorabies virus was found in swine in 7 populations, antibodies to leptospirosis were discovered in all 10 populations, and swine brucellosis (Brucella suis) was isolated from 4 individuals from 2 populations (Corn et al. 1986). Swine were negative for a wide variety of other viruses and for incidence of Trichinella spiralis. The authors concluded that feral hogs may act as reservoirs of pseudorabies virus and swine brucellosis, and potentially could infect domestic swine.

[X-spurt]

Right about cooking pork, especially wild because of the many parasites. Good info, thanks.

That being said, on non-feral, that I raised from day one and know exactly what it ate, I am sometimes brave enough for a medium rare grilled porkchop.

[Lurkina.n.Learnin]

Pork AND!! bacon?
That ain’t right.

[Lurkina.n.Learnin]

I remember my grandmother talking about covering meat in a crock with lard to keep it. That’s all I know about it though.