Spain joined the European Union in 1986
Capital city: Madrid
Population: 40,525,002 (July 2009 est.)
Currency: Euro
Language: Spanish
The Spanish economy grew every year from 1994 through 2008 before entering a recession that started in the third quarter of 2008. Spain's mixed capitalist economy supports a GDP that on a per capita basis is approaching that of the largest West European economies. The Socialist president, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, in office since 2004, has made mixed progress in carrying out key structural reforms. The economy was greatly affected, especially after Zapatero's second term began in April 2008, by the bursting of the housing bubble and construction boom that had fuelled much of the economic growth between 2001 and 2007. The global financial crisis exacerbated the economic downturn. GDP growth in 2008 was 1.2%, well below the 3% or higher growth the country enjoyed from 1997 through 2007. The Spanish banking system is considered solid, thanks in part to conservative oversight by the European Central Bank, and government intervention to rescue banks on the scale seen elsewhere in Europe in 2008 was not necessary. After considerable success since the mid-1990s in reducing unemployment to a 2007 low of 8%, Spain suffered a major spike in unemployment in the last few months of 2008, finishing the year with an unemployment rate over 13%.
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture: 3.4%
industry: 29%
services: 67.6% (2008 est.)
Source: CIA
Latest news on Spanish poultry
15 May 2012 - A group of scientists collaborating from Canada, Spain and Italy have published a study in Current Biology on the sleep and waking patterns of chicken embryos and how they can be influenced from outside the shell.
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15 May 2012 - A recent publication, based on research conducted in northwestern Spain evaluated the bacterial level on the shells of eggs from hens housed in various production systems. The authors confirmed higher levels of bacterial contaminations on eggs derived from extensive (free range) systems.
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03 Apr 2012 - Alejandro J. Magan has been appointed technical sales manager by Rubinum SA, Spain.
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26 Jan 2012 - Sodium butyrate is a well known growth promoter and regulator of the intestinal microflora, its combination with essential oils improve those effects, due to the synergy between those active principles.
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13 Dec 2011 - The new “Micro-Injection Advanced System” (MAS) technology for the injection of poultry meat was introduced by Ogalsa.
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30 Nov 2011 - In a recent trial conducted by Norel in India, in collaboration with Dr. Rama Rao from the Project Directorate of Poultry, 900 day old chicks followed a three phase feeding program using diets based on corn and soya.
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04 Nov 2011 - Around 400 poultry experts met in Santiago de Compostela, in Ocotber for the 48th Scientific Poultry Symposium organised by AECA, the Spanish branch of WPSA.
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27 Oct 2011 - The probiotic Fecinor, manufactured and marketed by Norel, has received approval for use in broilers in the EU.
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27 Jul 2011 - Using dry fat in broiler nutrition has several advantages such as easy storage and handling. Also, it allows the fat content to be increased in the diet without the negative effects of liquid oils.
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26 Jul 2011 - Danisco Animal Nutrition has promoted Jose Manuel de la Fuente Garcia from business director to regional director of Europe, Africa, Middle East and India (EUROW region), effective August 1, 2011.
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13 May 2011 - Agricultural engineer, Fernando Garcilópez Pérez, has been appointed by Danisco Animal Nutrition to the role of Business Manager.
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21 Apr 2011 - The influence of cereal type and the inclusion of sunflower meal as a source of additional dietary fibre on nutrient retention, growth performance and digestive organ size in broilers from one to twenty-one days of age was the topic of a recent study by researchers at the Department of Animal Production of the University of Murcia in Spain.
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21 Feb 2011 - Aviagen, the poultry breeding company, continues to develop their European production base with the acquisition of the remaining 50.44% of Ross Breeders Peninsular SA, the distributor for Spain, Portugal and Morocco.
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30 Dec 2010 - Early immunisation of breeder chicks is a vital part of controlling an ever-virulent Marek’s Disease, according to a Spanish veterinary expert.
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07 Dec 2010 - Chick Master has recently completed the installation and expansion of several major projects, such as in Spain. Here, the Iberavi hatchery expanded its operations with Avida A18 and A12 setters along with a modern heat recovery and energy management system.
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24 Nov 2010 - Researchers of the Polytechnic University in Madrid, Spain, studied the effect of inclusion of oat hulls and sugar beet pulp in the diet on productive performance and digestive traits of broilers from 1 to 42 days of age.
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28 Sep 2010 - Gustor BP-70, a form of semi-protected sodium butyrate developed by Norel, has shown its efficacy, including an efficient control of Salmonella in broilers.
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28 Jun 2010 - More than 500 delegates attended the series of seminars “Maintaining the intestinal integrity and improving broiler and breeder performance through effective control of Salmonella and other Enterobacteria”, organised by Norel Animal Nutrition and its local partners in Thailand, Philippines and Indonesia.
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30 Apr 2010 - From 8-10 June, Fira de Barcelona’s Gran Via exhibition centre will host the livestock industry event Expoaviga Forum with the participation of leading companies and the fullest programme of side events organised in Europe.
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14 Apr 2010 - Catalonian integration Granja Crusvi is among the first in the world to adopt Pas Reform’s latest advancement in hatchery technologies. The company is to renovate part of its existing hatchery, replacing its entire hatcher capacity with the new SmartPro™ system, launched this year.
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