U.S. | Cow slaughter lower than expected | Although drought usually causes a...
U.S.
Cow slaughter lower than expected
Although drought usually causes an increase in cow slaughter as ranchers cull to reduce stocking rates, this hasn’t been the case this year. According to the Livestock Marketing Information Center, producers in drought areas are shipping cows to regions where pasture conditions are better, rather than to slaughter. During the first two quarters of this year, federally inspected beef-cow slaughter was 3 percent below the same period last year. Beef cow slaughter increased slightly from a year ago during June but appears to have leveled off during July. For more information, go to http://www.lmic.info/
Mexico
Border Battles Continue
Last week, top Mexican cabinet officials said they were looking for ways to “armor plate” their agricultural producers as NAFTA moved to free trade next year, such as new anti-dumping actions. Yesterday, President Fox unexpectently canceled a schedule trip to the U.S. after Texas executed a convicted cop killer who may have been a Mexican citizen. Now, the Associated Press reports Carlos Ramirez, commissioner of the U.S. International Boundary and Water Commission, claims indisputable evidence that the Mexican state of Chihuahua has sufficient water reserves to repay a sizable portion of Mexico's water debt of 1.5 million acre-feet under terms of a 1944 water-sharing treaty. "The State Department, the Treasury and other departments in Washington are looking at what measures to take after September," when Mexico will formally be in violation of the treaty, Ramirez said. "Yes, some form of retaliatory action is possible."