Asia Pacific | Australia Taps Former AWB Chief Flugge for Iraq Ag EffortsAust...

Asia Pacific

 

Australia Taps Former AWB Chief Flugge for Iraq Ag Efforts
Australia will send a team of agricultural experts to work with Iraqi officials and the U.S. choice to head up America's efforts in Iraq. USDA Monday announced that it has tapped Dan Amstutz, a former USDA and grain industry official, to head up the Bush administration's efforts for agricultural reconstruction in Iraq.

 

JAPAN: Government backs meat and milk from cloned cattle
The Japanese government says meat and milk products made from cloned cattle are safe for human consumption, “moving the nation one step close to becoming the world’s first to allow such goods on the market.

 

Australia to challenge trade name ownership
Australia is about to challenge Europe in the World Trade Organisation, over moves to restrict the use of specific names for cheeses, beer, processed meat and some fruit and vegetables

 

Americas

 

Argentine Beef Exports Up
Argentine sees beef exports double for the beginning of the year.

 

Latin America Making Progress on Foot and Mouth Disease

Latin American health and agriculture ministers said here on Thursday that progress had been made in the fight against foot and mouth disease, but that some hot spots remain in the Andean region.

 

Europe

 

Pork Tariffs Rise
Eastern European countries start to raise tariffs on pork exports from EU and neighboring countries.

 

Going for the Direct Approach
British pig meat industry launches direct marketing approach to boost pork sales.

 

USA

 

ASA Urges Greater Safeguards to Protect U.S. from Soybean Rust

The American Soybean Association (ASA) has called for greater measures to safeguard domestic soybean production from Asian rust disease. ASA and the Animal and USDA's Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) have had a series of ongoing meetings about the rapidly increasing prevalence of rust in South America.

 

Report Raises Questions on Biotech Crops
Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology worries that there's not enough post-introduction oversight of high-tech crops.

 

Could 'good' virus combat E. coli O157:H7?
Washington state researchers say a harmless virus that kills the food-poisoning bacterium E. coli O157:H7 has been discovered in sheep.

 

Cause and Effect Urged
US meat group says food safety standards should be more clearly linked to their impact on public health.

 

Trade With Brazil

A top official in the Bush Administration is pushing hard to further open farm trade between the US and Brazil.  At a news conference in Brazil, US Treasury Secretary John Snow told reporters that the US is prepared "put everything on the table" when it comes to establishing a free trade area of the Americas.  The Brazilian government is upset that key farm products such as sugar, orange juice, cotton and beef face tough trade barriers in the US.  Secretary Snow says increased trade between the US and Brazil would benefit both countries.  That key farm products as sugar, orange juice, cotton and beef face tough trade barriers in the US.  Secretary Snow says increased trade between the US and Brazil would benefit both countries.