Asia PacificJapan agrees to speed up process to resume Canadian beef importsJ...

Asia Pacific

Japan agrees to speed up process to resume Canadian beef imports
Japan said it has agreed with Canada to speed up expert-level talks over madcow disease in an effort to resume Canadian beef imports in the future.

Senators press Japan to lift beef ban
Twenty senators from farm states have written to Japan's ambassador in the United States, urging his country to follow up on its promise to lift an import ban on American beef.

Americas

U.S. to partially reopen border
Washington is on track to partially reopening the border to live Canadian cattle March 7 despite growing domestic political and legal opposition.

Europe

New case of mad cow disease in Poland
A new case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease, has been detected in Poland, the countrys veterinary service told AFP.

Boost to regions
British meat promotion bodies restructure in a bid to increase their effectiveness.

USA

USDA sees U.S. retail beef price surge slowing
The grocery store price of beef, after two years of breath-taking increases, will level out this year, the U.S. government forecast on Thursday, and food inflation is likely to slow somewhat after its largest increase since 1990.

DeLauro: Inspector General said White House pressured USDA on Canadian beef
Responding to questioning by Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), ranking minority member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, USDA Inspector General Phyllis Fong testified last week that USDA officials told investigators that they had been pressured by an administration source to widen the number of Canadian beef products allowed in to the United States in the wake of the border closure in 2003.

Consumers Union to Johanns: Retest the November BSE case
Consumers Union, the consumer advocacy group that publishes Consumer Reports, has sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns asking that USDA retest the suspect animal discovered in November 2004 using the Western blot test and also asked that samples be sent to the United Kingdom for independent review.

Asia Pacific

Japan agrees to speed up process to resume Canadian beef imports
Japan said it has agreed with Canada to speed up expert-level talks over madcow disease in an effort to resume Canadian beef imports in the future.

Senators press Japan to lift beef ban
Twenty senators from farm states have written to Japan's ambassador in the United States, urging his country to follow up on its promise to lift an import ban on American beef.

Americas

U.S. to partially reopen border
Washington is on track to partially reopening the border to live Canadian cattle March 7 despite growing domestic political and legal opposition.

Europe

New case of mad cow disease in Poland
A new case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease, has been detected in Poland, the countrys veterinary service told AFP.

Boost to regions
British meat promotion bodies restructure in a bid to increase their effectiveness.

USA

USDA sees U.S. retail beef price surge slowing
The grocery store price of beef, after two years of breath-taking increases, will level out this year, the U.S. government forecast on Thursday, and food inflation is likely to slow somewhat after its largest increase since 1990.

DeLauro: Inspector General said White House pressured USDA on Canadian beef
Responding to questioning by Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), ranking minority member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, USDA Inspector General Phyllis Fong testified last week that USDA officials told investigators that they had been pressured by an administration source to widen the number of Canadian beef products allowed in to the United States in the wake of the border closure in 2003.

Consumers Union to Johanns: Retest the November BSE case
Consumers Union, the consumer advocacy group that publishes Consumer Reports, has sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns asking that USDA retest the suspect animal discovered in November 2004 using the Western blot test and also asked that samples be sent to the United Kingdom for independent review.