BSE | Second round of beef talks begin, but BSE test could complicate discuss...
BSE
Second round of beef talks begin, but BSE test could complicate discussions
Representatives from Japan and the United States began three days of beef trade talks Monday in Colorado, but discussions could be complicated in light of an inconclusive test for bovine spongiform encephalopathy that was announced by the Agriculture Department Friday.
Veneman Defends BSE Testing Procedure
Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman Monday defended USDA's procedure for notifying the public that a U.S. animal was tested inconclusively for BSE. USDA made the announcement late Friday without divulging specifics about the animal or its location.
"It was even difficult for me to understand initially why we would release results when we didn't know the results," Veneman told Farm Journal Media journalists in the company's Philadelphia headquarters. "But the fact of the matter is when you're testing and holding, the risk of market rumors is probably more damaging to the industry than is telling people what's going on."
More certain results will be revealed later this week from testing of carcass tissue sent to the USDA National Veterinary Laboratory in Ames, Iowa.
Australia
U.S. beef quota controls in Australia are to remain in place.
Company-specific quota allocations in Australia are to remain in place for the United States beef market for the remainder of 2004. The Australian Meat Industry Council and the Red Meat Advisory Council have asked for the removal of the company quota allocations for the remainder of 2004 because they believe Australia will not fill the annual 378,214-metric ton quota to the United States this year. Drought and strong export demand in Japan have reduced supply to the U.S. market in 2004.
THE Australian dollar closed stronger yesterday, edging back and forth around US70c with markets in high anticipation before the crucial Federal Reserve Open Market Committee meeting.
At the local close the dollar was trading at US69.93c compared to US69.67c at Monday's close. It bounced off a low of US69.82c and reached a high of US70.12c during local business.
BSE
Second round of beef talks begin, but BSE test could complicate discussions
Representatives from Japan and the United States began three days of beef trade talks Monday in Colorado, but discussions could be complicated in light of an inconclusive test for bovine spongiform encephalopathy that was announced by the Agriculture Department Friday.
Veneman Defends BSE Testing Procedure
Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman Monday defended USDA's procedure for notifying the public that a U.S. animal was tested inconclusively for BSE. USDA made the announcement late Friday without divulging specifics about the animal or its location.
"It was even difficult for me to understand initially why we would release results when we didn't know the results," Veneman told Farm Journal Media journalists in the company's Philadelphia headquarters. "But the fact of the matter is when you're testing and holding, the risk of market rumors is probably more damaging to the industry than is telling people what's going on."
More certain results will be revealed later this week from testing of carcass tissue sent to the USDA National Veterinary Laboratory in Ames, Iowa.
Australia
U.S. beef quota controls in Australia are to remain in place.
Company-specific quota allocations in Australia are to remain in place for the United States beef market for the remainder of 2004. The Australian Meat Industry Council and the Red Meat Advisory Council have asked for the removal of the company quota allocations for the remainder of 2004 because they believe Australia will not fill the annual 378,214-metric ton quota to the United States this year. Drought and strong export demand in Japan have reduced supply to the U.S. market in 2004.
THE Australian dollar closed stronger yesterday, edging back and forth around US70c with markets in high anticipation before the crucial Federal Reserve Open Market Committee meeting.
At the local close the dollar was trading at US69.93c compared to US69.67c at Monday's close. It bounced off a low of US69.82c and reached a high of US70.12c during local business.