Asia Pacific | Japan Meeting With British Pig Delegation | A major industry m...
Japan Meeting With British Pig Delegation
A major industry mission aimed at speeding the reopening of the Japanese market to British pig meat sets off on February 10. British Pig Executive (BPEX) Chairman and National Pig Association Executive Director Stewart Houston will be leading a series of bilateral meetings with the Japanese Government and various trade associations to speed up the process of re-instating the export licence.
Australian Beef Exports to Japan Recover to Pre-BSE Level Australian beef exports to Japan reached 16,938 tonnes in January, two per cent above the pre-BSE levels of January 2001. The figure is a strong improvement on shipments for January 2002, when only 8,047 tonnes of beef were exported to Japan. Aussie exports of frozen beef were particularly strong, exceeding pre-BSE levels by 29 per cent with 7,160 tonnes exported.
Americas
Puerto Rican Firm Expands Pork Recall Due to Listeria
US company, J.M. Packing, trading as Cash & Carry Inc., a Ponce, Puerto Rico, company, is expanding a recall to include 590 pounds of fresh, ready-to-eat pork shoulder that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.
Sao Paulo Poultry & Pork Complex Announces $55 Million Expansion
Brazilian processing giant Perdigao S/A officially inaugurated its Rio Verde Agro Industrial Complex near Sao Paulo Thursday, and announced plans to invest an additional $55.6 million to expand the poultry and pork grow-out and processing facility by 2007.
The facility is projected to generate $200 million annually, producing 60,000 tons of poultry, 30,000 tons of pork and 90,000 tons of processed products both for domestic and export markets, according to the company.
Argentinean Beef Exports Increase
Argentinean beef exports for 2002 reached over $480mil US dollars (257,907 tons). Last year, meat exports increased by 94% in volume in relation to 2001 when Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) reappeared in Argentina.
Europe
Russia Temporarily Stops Meat Imports
Russia has temporarily halted all meat imports, requiring importers to apply for new licenses, the latest in a series of trade restrictions that have drawn the ire of Russia's trading partners. American trade-industry officials said they were disappointed in the announcement. Russian Chief Veterinary Inspector Mikhail Kravchuck urged importers to "urgently renew their licenses," but Albert Daleyev, head of the U.S. Poultry and Egg Council, said the directive should not cause undo concern. World Trade Organization states told Russia that recently imposed restrictions on meat imports could harm negotiations for its entry into the trade body. The officials said criticism derived from the United States, the European Union and Australia.
U.S. Aide Says Talk May Be Best Tool In E.U. Biotech Fight
WASHINGTON, Feb 6 (Reuters) - Rhetorical pressure may be the best tool the United States has to force the European Union to drop its 4-year-old moratorium on genetically modified products, a top U.S. official said on Thursday.
Middle East
Egypt says may seek more US farm export credits
WASHINGTON, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Egyptian Trade Minister Youssef Boutros-Ghali said on Wednesday his country wanted more U.S. farm products and may seek additional U.S. export credits to achieve this.
USA
Arizona Declares State of Emergency After Poultry Tests Positive for Exotic Newcastle Disease
Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano has declared a state of emergency after Exotic Newcastle Disease was found in chickens at an Indian reservation in the western part of the state. Arizona's Agriculture Department has also quarantined Yuma County, La Paz County and part of Mohave County south of the Grand Canyon.
Dakota Groups Join Forces To Bring Organic Meat Mainstream
Dakota Beef and Campbell County Family Meats today announced plans to jointly harvest, prepare and distribute beef and pork. Dakota Beef company focuses on bringing the benefits of organic beef more conveniently to consumers in case ready and pre-cooked form.
NCBA Approves COOL Resolution
The NCBA Board of Directors approved a resolution on Country of Origin Labeling that calls for increased communication between producers and government, more opportunities to provide input on the program, and additional educational information for producers
N.Y. Firm Recalls Corned Beef Brisket For Excessive Nitrites
Blasdell, N.Y.-based Southtowns/Isenberg, a division of U.S. Foodservice, is recalling about 4,000 pounds of fresh corned beef brisket that may contain excessive amounts of potassium nitrites, according to USDA's FSIS.
UPDATE 1-US biotech researchers careless with 386 pigs -FDA
WASHINGTON, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Nearly 400 pigs used in U.S. bioengineering research may have entered the food supply because they were sold to a livestock dealer instead of being destroyed, the Food and Drug Administration said on Wednesday.