Asia Pacific | ASEAN approves talks with JapanA day after reaching a deal wit...

Asia Pacific

ASEAN approves talks with Japan
A day after reaching a deal with China in a bid to create the world's largest free trade zone, the leaders of 10 Southeast Asian nations have approved free trade talks with Japan.

Hong Kong opens border to Canadian beef products
The Canada Beef Export Federation reported that effective Tuesday, Hong Kong's Food and Environmental Hygiene Department has opened its border to Canadian boneless beef from cattle under 30 months with all specified risk materials (SRMs) removed.

Beef Exports Strong
Australia’s beef and veal exports to Japan and Korea are continuing to run at very strong levels, as indicated by data from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry for the first 23 days of November.

Europe

BSE cattle ban to be phased out
The automatic ban on cattle over 30 months old being sold as meat is to be phased out, the government has said.

Scottish Beef
Scotland’s meat promotion body campaigns for Scottish beef in English restaurants.

Farmers welcome end of beef ban
Beef producers in Scotland welcome moves to allow older cattle back into the food chain, describing it as a huge boost to the industry.

Americas

Bush dismisses strains in Canada visit
President Bush dismissed concerns Tuesday about strained ties between the United States and Canada, thanking those Canadians who turned out to wave "with all five fingers" during his first official visit.

Report reveals fragility of Canadian beef industry
The Canadian beef industry has lost an estimated $5 billion (€3.8 bn) since the discovery of a single BSE-infected cow in Canada last year, according to a new report from BMO's Economics Department.

USA

USDA projects balanced trade for 2005
USDA last week released a revised quarterly forecast for US agricultural export sales for fiscal year 2005. With sales down from record levels set in 2004, they see balanced trade for the year ahead.

Smithfield Foods seeks to buy more cattle feedlots
Smithfield Foods Inc. intends to beef up its presence in the cattle business by buying more cattle feedlots to add to the four it bought in October, the company said on Tuesday.

Asian soybean rust confirmed in Missouri
Asian soybean rust, a fungal disease, has been confirmed from leaf samples collected in the Missouri Bootheel by scientists at the University of Missouri Delta Center.

Asia Pacific

ASEAN approves talks with Japan
A day after reaching a deal with China in a bid to create the world's largest free trade zone, the leaders of 10 Southeast Asian nations have approved free trade talks with Japan.

Hong Kong opens border to Canadian beef products
The Canada Beef Export Federation reported that effective Tuesday, Hong Kong's Food and Environmental Hygiene Department has opened its border to Canadian boneless beef from cattle under 30 months with all specified risk materials (SRMs) removed.

Beef Exports Strong
Australia’s beef and veal exports to Japan and Korea are continuing to run at very strong levels, as indicated by data from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry for the first 23 days of November.

Europe

BSE cattle ban to be phased out
The automatic ban on cattle over 30 months old being sold as meat is to be phased out, the government has said.

Scottish Beef
Scotland’s meat promotion body campaigns for Scottish beef in English restaurants.

Farmers welcome end of beef ban
Beef producers in Scotland welcome moves to allow older cattle back into the food chain, describing it as a huge boost to the industry.

Americas

Bush dismisses strains in Canada visit
President Bush dismissed concerns Tuesday about strained ties between the United States and Canada, thanking those Canadians who turned out to wave "with all five fingers" during his first official visit.

Report reveals fragility of Canadian beef industry
The Canadian beef industry has lost an estimated $5 billion (€3.8 bn) since the discovery of a single BSE-infected cow in Canada last year, according to a new report from BMO's Economics Department.

USA

USDA projects balanced trade for 2005
USDA last week released a revised quarterly forecast for US agricultural export sales for fiscal year 2005. With sales down from record levels set in 2004, they see balanced trade for the year ahead.

Smithfield Foods seeks to buy more cattle feedlots
Smithfield Foods Inc. intends to beef up its presence in the cattle business by buying more cattle feedlots to add to the four it bought in October, the company said on Tuesday.

Asian soybean rust confirmed in Missouri
Asian soybean rust, a fungal disease, has been confirmed from leaf samples collected in the Missouri Bootheel by scientists at the University of Missouri Delta Center.