Asia Pacific | Portland sheep ban liftedThe Federal Government has lifted the...
Asia Pacific
Portland sheep ban lifted
The Federal Government has lifted the temporary ban on live sheep exports from the Victorian port of
U.S. beef gets firm foothold in the China market
U.S. Beef exports to China and Hong Kong have soared this year as rising incomes, expansion of the foodservice industry, tighter supplies and favorable U.S. pricing have boosted demand. Through the first eight months of this year, the USDA reports that U.S. Beef muscle meat exports have jumped to 14,372 metric tons, a 78-percent increase over the pace of a year ago. As recently as two years ago, U.S. Beef sales in China were limited to small-volume, niche purchases by top-tier hotels. Now, U.S. Beef is appearing in a wide range of foodservice establishments and is being identified and featured as U.S. in origin. The range of U.S. Beef cuts is also widening, along with the ways of preparing them. The U.S. Meat Export Federation China-marketing program is still focused on trade and educational activities. The USMEF has continued its education programs aimed at China's chefs and retailers. Sales of U.S. Beef have been helped by the fact that China has finally agreed to recognize all federally inspected meat and poultry plants, and allow U.S. imports without the cumbersome necessity of individual plant approvals. According to Chinese import statistics, the U.S. captured a 75-percent share of China's imported beef market in the first eight months of 2002.
Americas
Colombia begins beef exports to Peru
Tho Colombian Frigocar (Frigorifico del Caribe) company plans to export 24 m tons of beef to Peru in November, as part of an international sales strategy.
US Wants FTAA Ministers To Set Firm Dates For Bargaining
The U.S. will press governments attending a Free Trade Area of the Americas ministerial meeting in Quito, Ecuador, to set firm dates for trade bargaining to begin in just a few months, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick said Wednesday.
USA
U.S. hog producers square off over pork checkoff
That's the rallying cry of a growing number of U.S. hog farmers, who smell victory in their fight to end a 16-year-old, government-endorsed program that requires them to help fund a national campaign to promote pork.
Farmers cultivate tourist crop
LOUISVILLE, Ky., Oct. 30 — Dallas Montgomery had a small plot of land and wanted to grow something. So he planted corn at his rural Southern Indiana farm near Underwood in the mid-1990s and began selling it to the public.
Texas feeders and packers meet
The top four meat-packing companies and the Texas Cattle Feeders Association came together on one stage Oct. 19 in Amarillo to address beef-marketing problems. Joining the Texas Cattle Feeders members for discussion were Gene Leman, senior group vice president for IBP, a part of the Tyson Foods family; Tim Klein, president and CEO of Farmland/National Beef; Bill Rupp, executive vice-president of Excel Corp.; and John Simons, president and chief executive officer of Swift & Co. All have packing plants within the TCFA trade area and buy cattle from feed yards in the region. The group discussed issues troubling the industry, including packer ownership, country-of-origin labeling, marketing agreements, branded products and mandatory price reporting, but the No. 1 challenge, they all said, is food safety.