Switzerland Today
Dear Swiss Abroad,
Barbecue season is about to begin – and with it, peak pork consumption in Switzerland. Yet despite strong demand, the country is currently producing too much pork.
To curb the oversupply and stabilise prices, the Pig Farmers’ Association is proposing an unusual solution.
Best wishes from Bern
Too much pork is being produced in Switzerland – and falling prices are putting pressure on the industry. Farmers may now be paid to leave the business.
Did you know that pork is Switzerland’s most popular meat? In 2024, people in Switzerland consumed an average of 19 kilograms per person, with up to 95% sourced from domestic production.
Yet despite its popularity, the market is oversupplied. Swiss farmers currently send around 4,000 excess pigs to slaughter each week, the Tages-Anzeiger reports. “Currently, around 47,000 to 48,000 slaughter pigs are processed every week,” according to Suisseporcs, the association representing Swiss pig breeders and producers. But the market can only absorb around 44,000 animals per week. The excess meat is either sold at discounted prices or exported abroad more cheaply. Cold storage facilities were already stocked up in 2025 for this year’s barbecue season.
Suisseporcs now wants to encourage farmers to voluntarily give up pig farming in exchange for compensation payments. The association’s delegates will decide on the proposal soon. However, the measure is not expected to ease market pressure before next year.
Does part-time work weaken the Swiss old-age and survivors’ insurance (AHV/AVS)? New figures challenge one of the main arguments put forward by critics of part-time employment.
The Swiss Employers’ Association recently reignited the debate by introducing the term “lifestyle part-time”, referring mainly to people over 50 who voluntarily reduce their workload. Critics argue that part-time work worsens labour shortages and weakens the pension system. But federal data paints a different picture, Swiss public broadcaster SRF reports.
“What we see in the data is that many people are moving from non-employment into part-time work,” Luca Moretti from the Federal Social Insurance Office told SRF’s HeuteMorgen programme. The number of full-time jobs has remained stable for 15 years, while part-time employment – especially jobs above 50% – has increased.
In short: thanks to part-time work, more people in Switzerland are employed overall, and average working hours have increased.
And what about older employees reducing their workload in favour of more free time? “They are doing the right thing,” economist Mathias Binswanger told SRF’s Morgengast. “Economics is not about maximising income or growth, but about maximising personal benefit. If people reduce their workload in favour of more free time, that is economically rational.”
A video shared by Elon Musk featuring Lauterbrunnen is attracting millions of views – while locals are trying to defend their privacy.
“Is this real or AI?” many users asked after Musk reposted a video on X showing the Bernese Oberland valley in spectacular detail. Produced by an Italian blogger, the clip has now been viewed more than 50 million times.
“A few years ago, the inhabitants of Lauterbrunnen would probably have welcomed this free publicity without hesitation,” writes the Neue Zürcher Zeitung. Today, however, many locals see overtourism as a growing burden. In a recent survey in nearby Grindelwald, 89% of respondents said they would prefer fewer tourists in summer.
In Lauterbrunnen, it is not only the number of visitors that concerns residents, but also their behaviour. The municipality has installed signs asking tourists to stay off private property and dispose of their rubbish responsibly. Mayor Karl Näpflin told the Berner Zeitung that efforts are being made to keep the valley liveable despite the surge in visitors.
The traditional Swiss soft drink brand Rivella is now also being sold in aluminium cans – along with a new flavour.
During my afternoon break at work, I like to treat myself to a canned soft drink – and apparently I am not alone. Drinks in aluminium cans are booming, and Rivella now wants a share of the trend.
As CH Media newspapers report, two varieties are now available in cans: the classic Rivella Red and a new peach-flavoured Rivella Zero.
The family-owned company was founded in 1952 and has produced its drinks in Rothrist, canton Aargau, since the 1950s. Rivella is also sold abroad, particularly in the Netherlands, its most important foreign market. CH Media recently reported that the company will remain in family hands, with founder’s grandson Tano Barth set to become CEO in 2027.
Translated using AI/amva
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