Asia Pacific | Australia's decline in trade figures due to rural failures Aus...
Asia Pacific
Australia's decline in trade figures due to rural failures
Australia's decline in trade figures for Nov 2002 is due to the drought, says Acting Trade Minister John Anderson. Rural exports fell by seven per cent, or A$162 million (US$93.13 million), to A$2.25 billion (US$1.29 billion), due to falls in exports of wheat, cotton and beef and veal.
Largest beef slaughter in 20 years - ABS
The beef price is headed for a further slump this year with the latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics confirming a further increase in the number of cattle slaughtered, up to 720,000 head in November.
Drought widens Australian trade deficit
Australia's worst drought in a century has pushed its trade deficit to its highest level in more than two years in November, as agricultural exports falter.
Americas
US and Central America Begin Trade Talks
Hopes grow for a free trade agreement between USA and Central America.
Mexican Farmers Protest New Tariffs, NAFTA Reforms
Mexico's poverty-stricken farm sector has long festered as a painful economic sore. Now it's ballooning into a political crisis with potential consequences for the United States
Mexico expects chicken deal with U.S. this week
MEXICO CITY, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Mexican Economy Minister Luis Ernesto Derbez said on Thursday he expects a deal this week with the United States to extend protections of Mexico's $2 billion chicken industry under NAFTA.
Mexico Initiates Antidumping Investigation
US exporters see pork export market threatened as investigation is launched in to pork dumping allegations.
Europe
EU ends livestock export ban on Spain's Balearics
The European Union has removed its export ban on sheep, goats and cattle from Spain's Balearic islands, ruling that the area is now free of the viral disease bluetongue, the EU's executive said in a statement on Friday.
U.S. Trade Rep Questions EU Biotech Policy
Zoellick calls European approach to high-tech crops 'immoral' but there is concern about is approach.
Concern over BSE Rules Breach
UK farmers suspected of breaching BSE-related feed controls.
94 Cows Slaughtered as Mad Cow Disease Worries Spain
At least 94 cows coming from farms infected with mad cow disease have been destroyed since Dec. in Catalan province of Lerida, northeastern Spain, an Agriculture Department official said on Wednesday.
USA
Leo Burnett Touts Beef
The National Cattlemen's Beef Association returns to the familiar territory of taste and enjoyment in the latest round of advertising from Leo Burnett here.
USDA raises 2003 US beef production forecast
WASHINGTON, Jan 10 (Reuters) - The U.S. Agriculture Department on Friday raised its forecast for 2003 U.S. beef production to 25.81 billion pounds, up from 25.76 billion pounds projected last month.
Creekstone Farms to acquire bankrupt Future Beef plant
Creekstone Farms Premium Beef LLC has successfully bid for the former Future Beef Operations plant in Arkansas City, Kan., which was placed into Chapter 7 bankruptcy in August.
Summit yields industry-wide action plan to combat E. coli O157:H7
An unprecedented summit by beef industry leaders in San Antonio, Texas, yielded agreement Wednesday by representatives of the packing and processing segments of the industry to develop standardized sampling and sharing of data with other plants in the fight to reduce E. coli O157:H7 in beef.
US Threatens Reintroduction of Livestock Ownership Ban
Senate Introduces bill in 108th Congress to ban packer ownership or feeding of livestock.