One of the defining characteristics of mature consumer markets is not simply the abundance of products, but the quality of consumer decision-making. Across sectors, rising financial awareness, easier access to information and digital discovery are changing what people choose to buy and how they
Imagine reaching retirement with a bond portfolio that works like a staircase. One bond matures this year, another next year, and another the year after, giving you access to money at different points instead of having to unlock the entire investment at once
Augmont Enterprises IPO Day 2: The initial public offering (IPO) of integrated gold and silver platform Augmont Enterprises Ltd is witnessing its second day of bidding today, August 24. So far, the public issue has been subscribed 2.88 times. The Rs 825-crore IPO
Gold prices remain high in India; check 22K, 24K rates in Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru International gold prices also climbed to a more than three-month high on Monday. Published on: Aug 24, 2026, 13:46:24 IST By HT News Desk Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link Gold prices remained high in India on
Businesses from India and the U.S. have expressed interest in investing in Bangladesh and made proposals to improve the country's investment climate, Commerce Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir has said. Mr. Muktadir’s remarks on Saturday (August 22
Spain's huge pork industry seeks salvation from swine fever threat
Jordi Saltiveri gazes across his farmland, on which he keeps 8,000 pigs, and remembers the day late last year when the news emerged that African Swine Fever (ASF) had been detected in Spain.
I felt sad, angry, impotent," he says. "Once it's known that a country is positive for ASF, other countries will stop importing its pork.
Saltiveri's farm, owned by his father and grandfather before him, is in an isolated spot in the province of Lleida, in the northeastern region of Catalonia.
An old Catalan independence flag hanging by its entrance flaps in the wind, and the sound of pigs grunting and squealing in the farm buildings can be heard in the distance.
The outbreak of the virus remains relatively contained and it has not reached this area. Even so, Saltiveri, who is president of the federation of farming cooperatives in Catalonia, and almost every other pork farmer in Spain, is feeling its impact.
Each pig we sell for slaughter has lost about €30 [$35; £26] to €40 of its value compared to before the outbreak," he says. "I'm worried because we're suffering big losses.
ASF is highly contagious and lethal for pigs and wild boars, but it does not affect humans. Ground zero for this outbreak is Collserola Park, a nature area on the edge of Barcelona, and a couple of hours' drive from Saltiveri's farm, where the corpse of a wild boar infected by the virus was discovered in late November.
The authorities moved quickly to shut down the park, restricting access to the area, while searching for more infected corpses. The exact cause of the outbreak is still unclear, and an initial investigation has ruled out a possible leak from an animal research facility located near the first boar to be found infected.
However, the thousands of wild boar that roam the area, some of which have been known to enter the outskirts of Barcelona itself, have been identified as a key factor behind the spread of ASF.
"Being too permissive with wild animals has led to an overpopulation of rabbits, deer and wild boar," says Òscar Ordeig, the minister for agriculture, fisheries and food in the regional government of Catalonia.
Wild boar, he tells the BBC, have become a particular problem, causing "a huge increase in traffic accidents and transmission of diseases".
Ordeig estimates that the entire Catalonia region contains between 120,000 and 180,000 boar. The local government's aim is to cut that population by half, and 24,000 animals have been culled so far this year.
The rural police officers leading the cull are focusing in particular on a 6km (3.7 mile) radius surrounding the first cases, deemed high risk. A lower-risk zone with a 20km radius has also been delimited.
The culling is carried out using net traps, metal box traps and silenced firearms. Cameras and drones are used to monitor the traps and movement of the animals, whose bodies are all tested for ASF. By the end of March, 232 boars had tested positive.
Meanwhile, the authorities are ensuring that the movement of the boars is restricted by fences. Officers involved in these tasks disinfect their vehicles and shoes after patrolling high-risk areas.
Ordeig points to the "extreme biosecurity" which has long been in place in Spain and the efforts to control this outbreak.
We have to use all the resources available to defend our industry, our economy, our farming sector and farmers," he says. "There is a lot at stake here.
Since eradicating its last ASF outbreak, three decades ago, Spain's pork industry has grown enormously, to become the biggest in Europe with a value of €25bn. But once a country has detected ASF, export markets immediately close.
Brazil, Japan, Mexico, South Africa and the US have stopped importing Spanish pork. Other countries, such as EU members, China and the UK, have taken a more localised approach, only banning pork that originates in the affected area of north-eastern Spain.
The drop in international demand has affected not just in the amount of pork Spain is exporting, but also its price, having a direct impact on farmers like Saltiveri.
Pork exports from the Catalonia region were down 17% in January compared to the previous year. The export restrictions and price drop mean that the Spanish pork industry as a whole has already lost more than €600m since the crisis began, according to Unión de Uniones, a farmers' organisation.
Once the disease is fully eliminated, a 12-month period must pass before a country can be deemed "clean" and have its export status fully restored.
In other countries, such as Germany, which has been struggling with ASF in recent years, the disease has already caused severe damage to the pork industry, contributing to a drop in production of approximately 25% and the closure of thousands of farms.
The Spanish authorities are looking instead to Belgium as an example to follow – that country successfully eliminated ASF 14 months after its first case was detected.
Saltiveri, who employs strict and longstanding mandatory biosecurity measures, is confident that his and other farms will remain uninfected.
However, some in the pork industry remain underwhelmed by Spain's efforts to contain the virus.
After wild boar tested positive outside the initial high-risk zone in February, Mercolleida, the Catalan agricultural market that acts as a reference for food prices across Spain, criticised the actions to counter the disease, warning that the killing of boar in the Barcelona area was too slow.
Farmers across Spain are now paying the cost of ASF," its board members said in a statement. "Spain must not be allowed to turn into Germany.
Despite such concerns, domestic consumption is holding up. In Sants market in central Barcelona, just a few kilometres away from the ASF outbreak's ground zero, shoppers seemed reassured by the authorities' response.
I fully trust the safety measures that have been taken with this, they have controlled it very well," says Lupe López, a woman who was buying pork. "I feel quite calm about it.
"Right now I feel calmer than before, because pork is subject to more controls, and that reassures me when it comes to buying," says another shopper, Nati Martínez. She says the outbreak of BSE, or mad cow disease, that affected beef in the 1990s was more worrying because it could affect humans.
José Rodríguez, a pork butcher who has a stall in the market, said that retail prices had remained steady since the crisis began. "Right now, sales aren't great, but that's not to do with swine fever, it's because of other factors," he says, pointing to the high cost of living.
But Spaniards' appreciation of pork, he added, is undimmed. "We eat the whole pig, from the head to the tail."
Source: BBC
Related Posts: Business
Minimalistic retractable door handles became a signature feature of electric vehicles (EVs), but the controversial designs are now at the centre of China's biggest car recall, affecting more than 4 million vehicles. The recall, which includes 2.98 million Chinese-made Teslas
11 hours ago
Tempsens Instruments India IPO Day 3: The initial public offering (IPO) of temperature sensing and heating solutions provider Tempsens Instruments Ltd is witnessing its final day of bidding today, August 24. So far, the public issue has been subscribed by a strong 31.34 times. The Rs 650-crore IPO
11 hours ago
S&P 500 just hit a level seen only once before in 155 years — could a market crash be next? The S&P 500 CAPE ratio hit 40 for only the second time in 155 years, raising concerns about valuations, future returns and a possible market correction. Updated on: Aug 23, 2026
14 hours ago
Anthropic $2 trillion IPO: Why investors think it could be worth more than SpaceX Anthropic could reach a $2 trillion IPO valuation as revenue surges, raising questions about whether the AI company can be worth more than SpaceX. Published on: Aug 23, 2026
14 hours ago
US President Donald Trump has said Canada wants "the benefits of being a State, without being one" after trade talks between the two countries collapsed late on Friday. In his first comments since negotiations broke down, triggering new 50% US tariffs on a range of Canadian goods
1 days ago
India’s payments sector has raised $5.8 billion across 371 equity funding rounds since January 2021, while producing eight initial public offerings (IPOs) and triggering 25 acquisitions, as the industry increasingly consolidates around a handful of well-funded players
1 days ago
Can Reddit survive in the AI era? It wants more cash for its data—and more of people’s time Published on: Aug 22, 2026, 16:40:48 IST The Economist Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link Earlier this summer “Backrooms”, a horror flick, became one of the most successful independent films ever
1 days ago
What with a 250th birthday, Taylor Swift's wedding and the football World Cup, Americans could be forgiven for taking their eye off the ball this summer. But signs of economic trouble have been building. This week they hit the headlines when US national debt passed the $40tn (£29.4tn) mark
1 days ago
Insurance regulator IRDAI has directed Edelweiss Life Insurance and Pramerica Life Insurance, in separate orders on August 20, not to open new place of business for six months for non-compliance with Expenses of Management (EoM) limits in 2024-25
2 days ago
India remains a very attractive destination for global investments and its economic fundamentals form the basis for strong investor confidence, Jyoti Jeetun, the Minister of Financial Services and Economic Planning of Mauritius told The Hindu in an interview
2 days ago
A fresh wave of US tariffs on a wide array of Canadian goods has come into effect as of midnight on Saturday after a last minute break down in trade talks. Announcing the suspension of negotiations shortly before the Friday night deadline, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he would impose
2 days ago
TCS Employee Surveillance Row: Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), India’s largest IT services company, on Friday denied reports that it is using monitoring tools to track individual employee activity on company-issued laptops. The IT giant said the purpose of the tools is to monitor the overall
2 days ago
Walmart stock falls 9% as retailer finally brings Apple Pay, Google Pay Walmart stock fell 9% after earnings despite beating estimates and raising guidance. The retailer will add Apple Pay and Google Pay Tap to Pay from August 24. Updated on: Aug 21, 2026
2 days ago
TikTok has agreed to pay $400m (£293m) to the US to end a lawsuit alleging its platform violated children‘s privacy, marking one of the largest ever settlements over the issue. The deal stems from a 2024 suit by the Department of Justice under former President Joe Biden alleging TikTok and its
2 days ago
What’s next for Nvidia after the AI chip boom? Wall Street wants more—here’s what investors need to know Nvidia stock faces high expectations ahead of August 26 earnings as Wall Street watches AI growth, valuation, open-source models and Nvidia's next big story. Updated on: Aug 22, 2026
2 days ago
Costco dividend rises: Why a $10,000 investment pays only $61 yearly A $10,000 Costco investment earns only about $61 a year in regular dividends. Here’s why investors still buy COST for growth and special dividends. Updated on: Aug 20, 2026
3 days ago
Leaving education, getting a job, buying a home and perhaps starting a family: the path previous generations followed may seem a distant dream to many now. But is it getting a bit easier - at least when it comes to getting on the housing ladder? Today's prospective first-time buyers may well feel
3 days ago
Nearly six months after US President Donald Trump vowed a swift victory over Iran, the conflict appears to be at a standstill, with prospects of a military victory or negotiated settlement growing dimmer. To break the deadlock, Trump has vowed an "economic D-Day" under which any country that does
3 days ago
Why US stocks fell today: Dow, S&P 500, Nasdaq drop as oil and bond yields rise US stocks fell as oil prices and Treasury yields rose. Dow, S&P 500 and Nasdaq dropped as Trump's Iran threat, Walmart and the bond market hit Wall Street. Published on: Aug 20, 2026
3 days ago
Crypto stocks surge as Trump backs Clarity Act: Coinbase, Circle, miners rise Crypto stocks surge as Trump backs the Clarity Act. Coinbase, Circle, Bitcoin miners and other crypto shares rise as investors expect clearer US crypto rules. Updated on: Aug 20, 2026
4 days ago
Stock Market Today, August 20: The domestic equity market snapped its seven-day losing streak and ended sharply higher on Thursday, August 20, as broad-based buying lifted sentiment across sectors after the US Treasury stepped in to contain the surge in global bond yields
4 days ago
The Reserve Bank of India RBI has accorded its approval to Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) for acquiring an aggregate holding of up to 9.99% of the paid-up share capital or voting rights in HDFC Bank Ltd., the bank said in a filing with the exchanges on Wednesday (August 19, 2026) night
4 days ago
Customers have shared their outrage after an app used by many businesses to track timesheets and produce invoices hiked bills by as much as 1500%, with one person calling it "daylight robbery". Richard Haldenby, head of UK consultancy firm Salentis
4 days ago
Bitcoin Price Today, August 20: Bitcoin surged to the $70,000 mark on Thursday, recording one of its sharpest gains in recent months as a combination of lower US Treasury yields, a weaker dollar, strong institutional demand and large-scale short liquidations pushed the broader cryptocurrency market
4 days ago
US President Donald Trump has said he will launch tougher economic measures against Iran, as well as any country and that helps or does business with the country. He wrote in all capital letters on Truth Social that he was launching "the most crushing economic operation ever taken against any
4 days ago
The domestic equity markets were trading firmly higher on Thursday, August 20, with buying visible across large-cap, mid-cap and small-cap stocks. The gains strengthened through the session, with the benchmark Sensex rising more than 600 points by 1:20 pm
4 days ago
U.S. President Donald Trump will host cryptocurrency executives at the White House on Wednesday as U.S. financial regulators this week prepare to advance their framework for certain digital assets. Trump, who has earned more than $1.4 billion from his family’s crypto ventures
4 days ago
