Pork producers sideswiped by swine flu

Pork producers and hog farmers around the world say they are being sideswiped by the swine flu outbreak and many want the name of the virus changed to “North American flu”. Roughly a dozen countries joined Russia and China Tuesday in banning imports of pork products from parts of the United States, Mexico and elsewhere. South Korea and Ukraine have banned all pork and live hogs from North America and Indonesia is destroying products already bought in. Meanwhile hog prices have fallen steadily since Monday and the share price of food giants Smithfield Foods Inc., Tyson Foods Inc. and Maple Leaf Foods Inc. dropped as much as 12 per cent Monday before recovering somewhat Tuesday. While Canada…

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