Asia Pacific | U.S. and Japan hit beef trade snagJapan and the U.S. will not...

Asia Pacific

U.S. and Japan hit beef trade snag
Japan and the U.S. will not resolve their dispute over the resumption of U.S. beef imports by Japan at least until next year, with the ban itself likely to stay in place at least until spring, The Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported in its Thursday edition. Despite their earlier agreement that Japan will allow imports of cattle aged 20 months and younger because they have a lower risk of being infected with mad cow disease, the two sides haven't been able to bridge the gap over how to determine the animals' ages.

Japan ponders BSE test proposal
A Japanese panel studying whether the government should test all cows aged 20 months or younger for mad cow disease on Wednesday discussed a draft proposal in favor of relaxing the current blanket testing, Kyodo News reported. The panel says, however, that the proposed relaxation of blanket testing for the disease, formally known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy, doesn't necessarily open the door for resuming imports of U.S. beef without adequate inspections.

Africa

Zimbabwe warns farming setbacks threaten next harvest; shortages blamed
Farmers, many of them black Zimbabweans resettled on formerly white-owned properties, have so far plowed and prepared only one quarter of the land available for planting for next year's food harvests, the state Media reported Thursday.

Europe

Foot-and-mouth controls should tighten
Nearly four years since Britain's farms were ravaged by foot-and-mouth disease, the country could still do more to thwart a repeat outbreak, according to the Royal Society. Four million sheep, cows and other animals were slaughtered in 2001 in a desperate effort to control the most serious British epidemic of foot-and-mouth disease in over 30 years.

European Commission clears way for largest Dutch meat processor
The European Commission has approved the acquisition of Hendrix Meat Group (HMG) by Sovion, a move that will create the largest meat processor in the Netherlands and one of the largest in Northern Europe.

USA

Mad cow aftermath
In the weeks following the discovery of the first U.S. case of mad cow disease, at a Washington state dairy farm, federal officials unveiled a string of new regulations designed to reassure the public the nation's meat supply was safe. A year later, some of those rules have been adopted, while some remain in bureaucratic limbo.

One year after mad cow, questions linger
Exactly one year ago, the United States found its first case of mad cow disease. A year later, despite fears of economic fallout, beef prices are high, the government has vastly expanded its testing program and consumers appear unfazed by an event the beef industry thought could be devastating.

 

 

Asia Pacific

U.S. and Japan hit beef trade snag
Japan and the U.S. will not resolve their dispute over the resumption of U.S. beef imports by Japan at least until next year, with the ban itself likely to stay in place at least until spring, The Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported in its Thursday edition. Despite their earlier agreement that Japan will allow imports of cattle aged 20 months and younger because they have a lower risk of being infected with mad cow disease, the two sides haven't been able to bridge the gap over how to determine the animals' ages.

Japan ponders BSE test proposal
A Japanese panel studying whether the government should test all cows aged 20 months or younger for mad cow disease on Wednesday discussed a draft proposal in favor of relaxing the current blanket testing, Kyodo News reported. The panel says, however, that the proposed relaxation of blanket testing for the disease, formally known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy, doesn't necessarily open the door for resuming imports of U.S. beef without adequate inspections.

Africa

Zimbabwe warns farming setbacks threaten next harvest; shortages blamed
Farmers, many of them black Zimbabweans resettled on formerly white-owned properties, have so far plowed and prepared only one quarter of the land available for planting for next year's food harvests, the state Media reported Thursday.

Europe

Foot-and-mouth controls should tighten
Nearly four years since Britain's farms were ravaged by foot-and-mouth disease, the country could still do more to thwart a repeat outbreak, according to the Royal Society. Four million sheep, cows and other animals were slaughtered in 2001 in a desperate effort to control the most serious British epidemic of foot-and-mouth disease in over 30 years.

European Commission clears way for largest Dutch meat processor
The European Commission has approved the acquisition of Hendrix Meat Group (HMG) by Sovion, a move that will create the largest meat processor in the Netherlands and one of the largest in Northern Europe.

USA

Mad cow aftermath
In the weeks following the discovery of the first U.S. case of mad cow disease, at a Washington state dairy farm, federal officials unveiled a string of new regulations designed to reassure the public the nation's meat supply was safe. A year later, some of those rules have been adopted, while some remain in bureaucratic limbo.

One year after mad cow, questions linger
Exactly one year ago, the United States found its first case of mad cow disease. A year later, despite fears of economic fallout, beef prices are high, the government has vastly expanded its testing program and consumers appear unfazed by an event the beef industry thought could be devastating.