Asia Pacific | Japan's U.S. beef ban not all good news for rivalsTOKYO, Marc...

Asia Pacific

Japan's U.S. beef ban not all good news for rivals
TOKYO, March 11 (Reuters) - Japan's ban on U.S. beef imports imposed after an outbreak of mad cow disease is both a bane and a blessing for rival suppliers, as many are worried that food safety concerns could dampen the public's appetite for meat.

Favorable Beef Outlook
Australian beef supplies are expected to be tight in the short term and then expand.

Americas

Breakthrough on Mexico trade
Japanand Mexico have reached an accord in principle on a bilateral free trade agreement, the first comprehensive pact for Japan covering sensitive agricultural products, officials said

Canada's farm min seeks probe of meatpacker profit
OTTAWA, March 11 (Reuters) - Agriculture Minister Bob Speller said on Thursday he asked Canada's Competition Bureau to probe charges that meatpackers have kept retail beef prices high despite a mad cow scare that halved cattle prices.

Meat from Canada farm may have had human remains
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 10 (Reuters) - Pork products processed and distributed from the farm of accused Canadian serial killer Robert Pickton may have contained human remains, a provincial health official said on Wednesday.

Canada meatpackers reject profiteering allegations
OTTAWA, March 10 (Reuters) - Canadian meatpackers rejected accusations on Wednesday that they had artificially kept retail beef prices high in the wake of a mad cow scare that slashed cattle prices in half.

UPDATE 3-Canada lifts bluetongue ban on U.S. feeder cattle
OTTAWA, March 10 (Reuters) - Canada has lifted a ban on feeder cattle from 39 U.S. states that are seen as low risk for two insect-borne diseases, a Canadian veterinary official said on Wednesday.

Processor’s Sales Grow
A jump in meat exports boosts a Brazilian processor’s turnover and profit.

USA

US farm group supports CAFTA, Australia trade deals
WASHINGTON, March 10 (Reuters) - President George W. Bush's trade agenda got a boost on Wednesday when the largest U.S. farm organization voted to support recently negotiated trade agreements with Central American countries and Australia.

Survey: Majority of beef packers support private BSE testing
Nearly 60 percent of beef packers and processors support efforts to allow for the private, rapid testing of all cattle for bovine spongiform encephalopathy if it will help re-open export markets, according to an exclusive survey of Meatingplace.com members.

Prion inactivation symposium scheduled
In an effort to increase industry knowledge on minimizing exposure to bovine spongiform encephalopathy, processing industry groups have announced a one-day symposium featuring government and food industry experts who will discuss prion inactivation.

USDA projects 2004 beef production, poultry exports down; pork production up
Thanks to last year's case of BSE in Washington state, which caused more than 30 U.S. trade partners to close their borders (most of which remain closed), the Agriculture Department is projecting that U.S. beef production for this year will be down, even below estimates as recent as February.

Triple-Pasteurization Plan
U.S. meat processor installs a packaging system that utilizes a triple-pasteurization process to kill pathogens.

Asia Pacific

Japan's U.S. beef ban not all good news for rivals
TOKYO, March 11 (Reuters) - Japan's ban on U.S. beef imports imposed after an outbreak of mad cow disease is both a bane and a blessing for rival suppliers, as many are worried that food safety concerns could dampen the public's appetite for meat.

Favorable Beef Outlook
Australian beef supplies are expected to be tight in the short term and then expand.

Americas

Breakthrough on Mexico trade
Japanand Mexico have reached an accord in principle on a bilateral free trade agreement, the first comprehensive pact for Japan covering sensitive agricultural products, officials said

Canada's farm min seeks probe of meatpacker profit
OTTAWA, March 11 (Reuters) - Agriculture Minister Bob Speller said on Thursday he asked Canada's Competition Bureau to probe charges that meatpackers have kept retail beef prices high despite a mad cow scare that halved cattle prices.

Meat from Canada farm may have had human remains
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 10 (Reuters) - Pork products processed and distributed from the farm of accused Canadian serial killer Robert Pickton may have contained human remains, a provincial health official said on Wednesday.

Canada meatpackers reject profiteering allegations
OTTAWA, March 10 (Reuters) - Canadian meatpackers rejected accusations on Wednesday that they had artificially kept retail beef prices high in the wake of a mad cow scare that slashed cattle prices in half.

UPDATE 3-Canada lifts bluetongue ban on U.S. feeder cattle
OTTAWA, March 10 (Reuters) - Canada has lifted a ban on feeder cattle from 39 U.S. states that are seen as low risk for two insect-borne diseases, a Canadian veterinary official said on Wednesday.

Processor’s Sales Grow
A jump in meat exports boosts a Brazilian processor’s turnover and profit.

USA

US farm group supports CAFTA, Australia trade deals
WASHINGTON, March 10 (Reuters) - President George W. Bush's trade agenda got a boost on Wednesday when the largest U.S. farm organization voted to support recently negotiated trade agreements with Central American countries and Australia.

Survey: Majority of beef packers support private BSE testing
Nearly 60 percent of beef packers and processors support efforts to allow for the private, rapid testing of all cattle for bovine spongiform encephalopathy if it will help re-open export markets, according to an exclusive survey of Meatingplace.com members.

Prion inactivation symposium scheduled
In an effort to increase industry knowledge on minimizing exposure to bovine spongiform encephalopathy, processing industry groups have announced a one-day symposium featuring government and food industry experts who will discuss prion inactivation.

USDA projects 2004 beef production, poultry exports down; pork production up
Thanks to last year's case of BSE in Washington state, which caused more than 30 U.S. trade partners to close their borders (most of which remain closed), the Agriculture Department is projecting that U.S. beef production for this year will be down, even below estimates as recent as February.

Triple-Pasteurization Plan
U.S. meat processor installs a packaging system that utilizes a triple-pasteurization process to kill pathogens.