European Union | EU to promote its agricultural products outside the EU | The...
European Union
"Improving the competitiveness of EU quality products on markets outside the EU is a major challenge. By investing in promotion and information campaigns for our agricultural products outside the EU, the European Union is showing its determination to take up this challenge," said Franz Fischler, Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries.
Britain may have sent vCJD-tainted blood to 11 other countries
Blood donated by nine Britons who later died of variant Creutzfeldt-Jacob Disease (vCJD) after eating BSE-infected beef products was shipped to 11 foreign countries, including Russia, Brazil, Turkey, Singapore, Ireland, Egypt, India, Dubai, Oman, Brunei and Morocco.
An unknown number of people in those countries may have been exposed to vCJD, in addition to 6,000 Britons who may have received infected blood during transfusions.
Great Britain stopped exporting blood products completely in 1999, but as vCJD can take up to 30 years to appear, there is no way of knowing if the infection has been exported.
USA
U.S. pig and breeding herd inventories increased slightly but measurably in August.
USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service reported in its Quarterly Hogs and Pigs Report that the size of the U.S. pig herd on September 1, 2004 was 61.4 million Head – a one percent increase over September 1, 2003, and June 1, 2004.
Breeding inventory, at 5.98 million head, was also up one percent from September 1, 2003, and also up one percent from last quarter. Market hog inventory, at 55.4 million head, was one percent above last year and two percent above last quarter.
The June-August 2004 U.S. pig crop, at 26.0 million head, was up one percent from both 2003 and 2002. Sows farrowing during this period totaled 2.89 million head, 1 percent below last year. The sows farrowed during this quarter represented 49 percent of the breeding herd.
Canada
Ontario offers $30 million in aid to cattle industry
Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty announced on Monday that the Ontario government will provide up to $30 million (Canadian) to assist the cattle industry in recovering from the BSE fallout.
Those funds will go directly to Ontario farmers to help feed and maintain their herds, which can't be slaughtered profitably. McGuinty said the move is part of a long-term strategy meant to keep the industry viable. The program includes maintaining pressure to reopen the U.S./Canadian border, increasing slaughter capacity throughout Canada and identifying new export markets for Canadian beef.
McGuinty had said earlier that the province was broke and could not afford substantial aid to farmers above the money promised by the federal government. He did not address the question of where the funds were found.
Asia
UN alarm at bird flu transfer to humans
ASIA'S bird flu epidemic remained "a crisis of global importance", the United Nations warned yesterday as Thailand went on national alert amid fears that the first human-to-human transmission had taken place.
Thailand's Health Ministry said a 26-year-old woman who died from bird flu eight days ago "probably" caught the virus while caring for her sick daughter in hospital.
Her 11-year-old daughter did not recover, and is listed as a suspected victim of the virus that has claimed 29 lives in the region so far this year.
"Although the finding of probable human-to-human transmission is clearly of concern, there is currently no evidence of ongoing chains of transmission or risk to persons outside of the affected province," the Health Ministry said in a statement.
Bangkok-based World Health Organisation spokesman Kamara Rai said there was no need to panic.
"We have all agreed the probable human-to-human transmission has occurred through a direct, face-to-face and long contact," he said.
"Even if this limited episode of human-to-human were confirmed, it does not pose a significant public health threat."
European Union
"Improving the competitiveness of EU quality products on markets outside the EU is a major challenge. By investing in promotion and information campaigns for our agricultural products outside the EU, the European Union is showing its determination to take up this challenge," said Franz Fischler, Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries.
Britain may have sent vCJD-tainted blood to 11 other countries
Blood donated by nine Britons who later died of variant Creutzfeldt-Jacob Disease (vCJD) after eating BSE-infected beef products was shipped to 11 foreign countries, including Russia, Brazil, Turkey, Singapore, Ireland, Egypt, India, Dubai, Oman, Brunei and Morocco.
An unknown number of people in those countries may have been exposed to vCJD, in addition to 6,000 Britons who may have received infected blood during transfusions.
Great Britain stopped exporting blood products completely in 1999, but as vCJD can take up to 30 years to appear, there is no way of knowing if the infection has been exported.
USA
U.S. pig and breeding herd inventories increased slightly but measurably in August.
USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service reported in its Quarterly Hogs and Pigs Report that the size of the U.S. pig herd on September 1, 2004 was 61.4 million Head – a one percent increase over September 1, 2003, and June 1, 2004.
Breeding inventory, at 5.98 million head, was also up one percent from September 1, 2003, and also up one percent from last quarter. Market hog inventory, at 55.4 million head, was one percent above last year and two percent above last quarter.
The June-August 2004 U.S. pig crop, at 26.0 million head, was up one percent from both 2003 and 2002. Sows farrowing during this period totaled 2.89 million head, 1 percent below last year. The sows farrowed during this quarter represented 49 percent of the breeding herd.
Canada
Ontario offers $30 million in aid to cattle industry
Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty announced on Monday that the Ontario government will provide up to $30 million (Canadian) to assist the cattle industry in recovering from the BSE fallout.
Those funds will go directly to Ontario farmers to help feed and maintain their herds, which can't be slaughtered profitably. McGuinty said the move is part of a long-term strategy meant to keep the industry viable. The program includes maintaining pressure to reopen the U.S./Canadian border, increasing slaughter capacity throughout Canada and identifying new export markets for Canadian beef.
McGuinty had said earlier that the province was broke and could not afford substantial aid to farmers above the money promised by the federal government. He did not address the question of where the funds were found.
Asia
UN alarm at bird flu transfer to humans
ASIA'S bird flu epidemic remained "a crisis of global importance", the United Nations warned yesterday as Thailand went on national alert amid fears that the first human-to-human transmission had taken place.
Thailand's Health Ministry said a 26-year-old woman who died from bird flu eight days ago "probably" caught the virus while caring for her sick daughter in hospital.
Her 11-year-old daughter did not recover, and is listed as a suspected victim of the virus that has claimed 29 lives in the region so far this year.
"Although the finding of probable human-to-human transmission is clearly of concern, there is currently no evidence of ongoing chains of transmission or risk to persons outside of the affected province," the Health Ministry said in a statement.
Bangkok-based World Health Organisation spokesman Kamara Rai said there was no need to panic.
"We have all agreed the probable human-to-human transmission has occurred through a direct, face-to-face and long contact," he said.
"Even if this limited episode of human-to-human were confirmed, it does not pose a significant public health threat."