Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE),
Mad Cow Disease News Archive

July 2007
Japan, U.S. hold 2-day technical meeting on U.S. beef imports TOKYO (AP)--Japan and the U.S. began a two-day meeting on U.S. beef imports June 27 to exchange views as the U.S. calls for an easing of Japan's tough import restrictions. Japan only allows imports of U.S. beef from cattle 20 months old or younger, because Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy has not been detected in meat from young cattle. During the two-day closed, technical meeting, the U.S. will submit the data it provided to the animal health organization and Japan will examine it, ...
Japan lifts an export ban on shipments from California meatpack TOKYO (AP)--Japan lifted an export ban on a California meatpacker July 4 imposed earlier this year after the company sent a shipment that appeared to violate restrictions aimed at controlling the spread of bovine spongiform encephalopathy. The ban was imposed in March after inspectors found a shipment from Jobbers that appeared to contain 188 boxes of beef sausage. Japan forbids the import of U.S. products such as sausage that contain processed beef under restrictions aimed at controlling the...
Eager customers and protesters greet U.S. beef at retail store At the same time, in a handful of stores, there were protests from those who still oppose U.S. beef imports, citing concerns about U.S. beef safety. U.S. beef and beef variety meat exports to South Korea in 2003 reached 246,958 mt, or more than 544 million pounds, valued at nearly $816 million, and U.S. beef accounted for more than half of the beef consumption. Most reports were positive toward U.S. beef, which will help influence consumers with a neutral opinion to give U.S. beef a try.
Natural beef sales help partners profit The Ferris and Elliott families of Colorado have taken that idea to a higher level with the development of Colorado's Best Beef Co., a partnership that not only sells sides and quarters to individuals but delivers beef to retail establishments, sells cuts at seasonal farmers' markets, and offers wholesale food service products to dining establishments. The partnership began when the children in the Elliott family, who operate a small ranch near Boulder, wanted to become involved in 4-H. The ...
Nebraska Cattlemen appreciates delegation's trade letter to amb The Nebraska Cattlemen is letting members of the state's congressional delegation know that it appreciates a joint letter they sent June 6 to Ryozo Kato, Japan's ambassador to the U.S. The letter urged Japan to resume normal importation of beef from the U.S. as quickly as possible. The Nebraska Cattlemen association serves as the spokesman for the state's beef cattle industry and represents professional cattle breeders, ranchers and feeders, as well as 48 county and local cattlemen's ...
Japan lifts an export ban on shipments from California meatpack TOKYO (AP)--Japan lifted an export ban on a California meatpacker July 4 imposed earlier this year after the company sent a shipment that appeared to violate restrictions aimed at controlling the spread of bovine spongiform encephalopathy. The ban was imposed in March after inspectors found a shipment from Jobbers that appeared to contain 188 boxes of beef sausage. Japan forbids the import of U.S. products such as sausage that contain processed beef under restrictions aimed at controlling the...

June 2007
South Korea bars beef from U.S. facility after finding banned b SEOUL, South Korea (AP)--South Korea said May 30 it has suspended beef imports from a U.S. meat processing plant after finding banned bone material--thought by Seoul to raise the risk of bovine spongiform encephalopathy--in a recent shipment. On May 30, the Agriculture Ministry said rib bones were found in two boxes of a 15.2-ton shipment that arrived May 25. The ministry suspended imports from the U.S. facility that processed the beef in that shipment. The U.S. has been urging South Korea to...
Japan says no immediate plans to relax conditions on U.S. beef Japan allows imports of U.S. beef only from cattle not more than 20 months old, citing concerns about bovine spongiform encephalopathy, which is believed to be more likely to affect older animals. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns urged countries that import U.S. beef to review their policies after the decision in Paris. Japanese officials have been inspecting U.S. meatpackers that export beef to Japan to evaluate their compliance with restrictions Tokyo imposed over BSE concerns.
Government fights to keep meatpackers from testing for BSE A beef producer in Kansas, Creekstone Farms Premium Beef, wants to test all of its cows. Larger meat companies feared that move because, if Creekstone should test its meat and advertised it as safe, they might have to perform the expensive tests on their larger herds as well. The USDA regulates the test and argued that widespread testing could lead to a false positive that would harm the meat industry.
South Korean housewives launch group to monitor U.S. beef SEOUL, South Korea (AP)--A group of South Korean housewives said June 12 it will start monitoring sales of U.S. beef amid a campaign to get the government to halt recently resumed American beef imports. The group will also check U.S. beef prices to see if they are indeed cheaper than South Korean beef as the government claims, Go said. The U.S. has been urging South Korea to further open its market, the third-largest U.S. beef destination after Japan and Mexico before the 2003 ban.
U.S. cattle producers urge full restoration of export markets f "U.S. cattle producers are pleased the OIE has voted to classify the United States as a 'controlled risk' country for BSE ," states NCBA Chief Veterinarian Dr. Elizabeth Parker, who is in Paris for the meetings. Since BSE was first detected in the U. S. in December 2003, U.S. cattle producers have faced excessive trade barriers, with $4.8 billion in U.S. beef and beef product exports banned from international export markets. "International consumers are eager to enjoy U.S. beef products and...
South Korean housewives launch group to monitor U.S. beef SEOUL, South Korea (AP)--A group of South Korean housewives said June 12 it will start monitoring sales of U.S. beef amid a campaign to get the government to halt recently resumed American beef imports. The group will also check U.S. beef prices to see if they are indeed cheaper than South Korean beef as the government claims, Go said. The U.S. has been urging South Korea to further open its market, the third-largest U.S. beef destination after Japan and Mexico before the 2003 ban.
KCA represented at congressional field hearing On June 5, members of Congress held a field hearing in Salina to get a better idea as to the Kansas agriculture industry and the challenges producers face. As a fourth generation cow-calf producer, Robbins indicated that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has implemented rules that are detrimental to producers and that his biggest challenge as a producer is the current market structure. Our beef customers and producers want mandatory COOL implemented in the USA and deserve it," Robbins ...
Canada receives controlled risk rating from OIE The Canadian Cattlemen's Association is pleased that the World Organization for Animal Health, at its 75th General Session in Paris, France, has officially categorized Canada as a controlled risk country for bovine spongiform encephalopathy. The Government of Canada submitted a detailed application to the OIE in the fall of 2006 for the classification of controlled risk, based on its interlocking, multi-layered safeguards. The OIE approved a number of countries, including Canada and the ...
Farm bill hearing targets Kansas agriculture "With two of the three commodity safety net programs tied to price, it is fair to say that producers of commodity program crops should be well covered in low price environments."— The hearing, Etheridge said, was the last hearing of the subcommittee before its most important work of the year; the so-called "markup" of the commodity title of the 2007 farm bill. "The Congressional Budget Office indicates we are going to draft a farm bill with 43 percent fewer funds than the 2002 farm bill.

May 2007
U.S. trade official supports free-trade pact with South Korea WASHINGTON (AP)--A top Bush administration trade official defended a free-trade pact between the United States and South Korea as good for U.S. automakers and other companies in the face of keen skepticism in Congress. "This is the strongest automotive package that has existed in any free trade agreement," Karan Bhatia, deputy U.S. Trade Representative, told reporters in early April. South Korea currently sells more than 700,000 vehicles a year in the United States, while U.S. makers sell ...
U.S. beef clears key hurdle in South Korea GWACHEON, South Korea (AP)--South Korea's government said April 27 a shipment of U.S. beef that arrived in late April was safe, clearing a key hurdle after an import absence of more than three years due to Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy fears. The National Veterinary Research & Quarantine Service made the announcement after inspecting the beef, which arrived April 23. South Korea banned U.S. beef after BSE was discovered in the United States in December 2003. South Korean beef farmers and ...
Salazar fights to protect key food safety labs Yet despite the Denver FDA lab's critical role in national security and the health of American livestock, the FDA has slated it for closure. The Denver FDA lab is a member lab of the Food Emergency Response Network, which ensures the safety and security of America's food supply from possible terrorist attack, and is the only full-service FERN lab nationwide the FDA is aiming to close. The Denver lab is the FDA's only lab to test the safety of all veterinary pharmaceuticals, ensuring the ...
Johanns comments on U.S. classification by OIE U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns issued a statement May 22 following the announcement by the World Organization for Animal Health of the U.S. classification as a controlled risk country for bovine spongiform encephalopathy. "This classification confirms what we have always contended--that U.S. regulatory controls are effective and that U.S. fresh beef and beef products from cattle of all ages can be safely traded due to our interlocking safeguards," Johanns said. "In October 2006, ...
Cattlemen seek open beef trade with OIE backing A prestigious international body issued May 22 formal recognition that U.S. beef is safe for global trade--action that should open more markets to U.S. beef and beef products. With OIE confirming our long held position that our safeguards are sufficient, there is no legitimate scientific reason for any country in the world to deny their consumers access to U.S. beef," said TCFA Chairman Don McCasland. TCFA believes the ruling by the 167-nation OIE demonstrates there is no valid justification ...
Canada receives controlled risk rating from OIE The Canadian Cattlemen's Association is pleased that the World Organization for Animal Health, at its 75th General Session in Paris, France, has officially categorized Canada as a controlled risk country for bovine spongiform encephalopathy. The Government of Canada submitted a detailed application to the OIE in the fall of 2006 for the classification of controlled risk, based on its interlocking, multi-layered safeguards. The OIE approved a number of countries, including Canada and the ...
0528 NP Hesston jml A beef producer in Kansas, Creekstone Farms Premium Beef, wants to test all of its cows. Larger meat companies feared that move because, if Creekstone should test its meat and advertised it as safe, they might have to perform the expensive tests on their larger herds as well. The USDA regulates the test and argued that widespread testing could lead to a false positive that would harm the meat industry.
Japan to inspect U.S. meatpackers exporting beef Japan banned American beef imports in December 2003. A handful of U.S. exporters have been banned from exporting beef to Japan due to various violations of its import conditions. Before the ban on American beef three years ago, Japan had been the top destination for U.S. beef, importing $1.4 billion worth a year.
A good addiction - tell your story I must admit when I heard the first news report I wondered why in the world a company would name an energy drink Cocaine. The company, Redux, has really benefited from all of the free advertising because after the FDA banned the name Cocaine they decided to rename it Censored. Editor's note: Trent Loos is a sixth generation United States farmer, host of the daily radio show, Loos Tales, and founder of Faces of Agriculture, a non-profit organization putting the human element back into the ...
May is beef month Beef cattle producers are in the process of sending cattle out on native grass pastures for the summer. Retired animal scientist, Frank Brazle compiled 20 years of grazing cattle research to determine the affect of starting weight, condition and sex on performance variability in grazing cattle. The steers gained 0.23 pounds per day more than calves, and steers with starting weights of 500 to 599 pounds gained more per day than their heavier contemporaries.
Japan to resume beef exports to Hong Kong after more than 5 yea Hong Kong's ban on Japanese beef will be lifted April 27, Shiro Inukai of the Livestock Industry Department with the Agriculture Ministry said. Hong Kong's decision to resume beef shipments came after a "thorough assessment" and an agreement that Japan would provide enhanced control measures against BSE , Hong Kong's Center for Food Safety said April 24, according to Inukai. Hong Kong will be the third destination to lift an import ban on Japanese beef after the United States and Canada, ...

April 2007
WSGA stresses weaknesses in USDA's proposed OTM rule The Wyoming Stock Growers Association has called upon the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to withdraw its proposed rule regarding Minimal Risk Regions for Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy as published in the Federal Register on January 9. WSGA, the trade association for and voice of Wyoming's cattle producers and feeders since 1872, offered its comments on behalf of the association's 1,000-plus members. In its comments the association argued the March...
Wal-Mart-owned Seiyu to start selling U.S. beef in Japan TOKYO (AP)--Seiyu Ltd., the supermarket chain owned by Wal-Mart, said March 26 some of its stores will start selling U.S. beef at a time when most major retailers here are still worried about possible health hazards. Tokyo also limits imports to beef that has been through stringent checks at selected U.S. meat processing plants. The five Costco stores run by the Japan unit of U.S. warehouse retailer Costco Wholesale Corp., are selling U.S. beef, as are other smaller chains.
Trade mess And now a judge has ruled Creekstone Farms Premium Beef, LLC, should be allowed to test 100 percent of its beef for BSE if it wishes to do so. Pending a final approval next month, the ruling means the U.S. regulatory controls are effective and U.S. cattle and products from cattle of all ages can be safely traded in accordance to international guidelines. As hard as trade representatives, industry groups and American companies have tried, some refuse to accept U.S. beef.
South Korea- Calling our bluff? Late last Saturday the U.S. Trade Representative struck a last minute trade deal with South Korea that has received, at best, a lukewarm reception on the Hill. The trade agreement in question would be the largest based on the size of the economies since the North American Free Trade Agreement in 1994. The elementary question here is what good is this agreement if South Korea continues to ban U.S. beef from entering their country?
R-CALF seeks to extend comment period on imports R-CALF USA sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns to formally request that the U.S. Department of Agriculture extend the public comment period regarding the agency's proposal to allow imports of Canadian cattle over 30 months of age. "Due to the agency's lack of sufficient data to adequately assess the economic effects of the OTM Rule on the thousands of small entities represented by R-CALF USA's membership, substantially more time is needed than the current 60-day ...
More than 100 agricultural groups, sale barns sign joint letter March 13, more than 100 agricultural organizations and livestock auction yards from around the country sent a letter to U.S. Senate leaders to seek help to prevent the U.S. Department of Agriculture from implementing its proposed rule to allow Canadian cattle over 30 months (OTM) of age into the United States. "Canada's ongoing struggle with its Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy epidemic continues to disrupt international beef trade and continues to create hardships for the U.S. cattle ...
Federal judge rules Creekstone can test for BSE Judge Robertson noted that many other countries test large numbers of healthy-appearing cattle for BSE at slaughter and suggested that USDA's stated concerns about the conclusions consumers might draw from private BSE testing were not within USDA's statutory areas of responsibility. When Creekstone approached Bio-Rad about purchasing test kits from the company, it was informed that USDA only permitted BSE testing as part of USDA's official surveillance program and wouldn't permit the sale of...
Cattlemen- Independent and adversarial 'til death Protest movements have always found support from these naturally adversarial cattle ranchers, but the R-CALF group finally got the bright star to stand over them in 2003. The Ranchers-Cattlemen's Action Legal Fund (R-CALF) formed in the northwest ranch country and has opposed Canadian imports since its inception. Thanks to Canada not gaining control of BSE , and the U.S. luckily not having any substantial outbreak, R-CALF should be credited with the length of time the border remains closed ...
Washington, Tokyo agree on new inspections for U.S. beef export Citing concerns about bovine spongiform encephalopathy, Japan tightly controls U.S. beef imports, allowing cuts only from cattle 20 months old or younger. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns and his Japanese counterpart agreed in a phone call that inspectors in Japan would be allowed to certify the safety of selected American plants exporting to their country, said Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasushisa Shiozaki. A group of two dozen U.S. senators is urging U.S. President George W. Bush to ...
Source and age verification As the marketplace continues to demand exact animal traceability to satisfy consumer demands, producers who have enrolled in a Kansas Farm Bureau program like Beef Verification Solution will be positioned to cash in on these market opportunities. This export-verification program calls for all USDA-marketed beef to Japan to also be part of a quality-system assessment (QSA) or process-verified program (PVP). For any producer thinking about selling source and age verification, the first step is...
Source, age verification important part of BVS program As the marketplace continues to demand exact animal traceability to satisfy consumer demands, producers who have enrolled in a Kansas Farm Bureau program like Beef Verification Solution will be positioned to cash in on these market opportunities. This export-verification program calls for all USDA-marketed beef to Japan to also be part of a quality-system assessment (QSA) or process-verified program (PVP). For any producer thinking about selling source and age verification, the first step is...
First shipment of U.S. beef since last year arrives in South Ko SEOUL, South Korea (AP)--The first shipment of American beef in more than four months arrived in South Korea April 23 after Seoul agreed to take a softer stance in its tough anti-bovine spongiform encephalopathy regulations and a U.S. meat packer tightened its inspections. Three earlier shipments of American beef were rejected by South Korea late last year for failing import regulations. South Korea said it would continue to ban U.S. beef containing bone fragments, but agreed to only reject ...
Feds won't take Lexington plant off authorized export list LINCOLN, Nebraska (AP)--The U.S. Department of Agriculture has denied a Japanese request to remove a Nebraska processing plant from a list of plants authorized to export beef to Japan. In February, Japan stopped beef imports from a Lexington processing plant operated by Tyson Foods Inc., after finding boxes of beef that had not been verified as from cattle 20 months old or younger, as required by Japan. Earlier this month, Japan ordered imports halted from Cargill Meat Solutions in Dodge City...
Cow imported into U.S. was in same herd as infected cow The cow was slaughtered in Nebraska before it was 30 months old and showed no signs of the brain-wasting disease, said Karen Eggert, a spokeswoman for the Animal and Plant Inspection Service. Older animals carry a higher risk of BSE . Meat from the animal probably entered the food supply, Eggert said, but is at "negligible" risk of having posed a threat to animal or human health.
Cow imported into U.S. was in same herd as infected cow The cow was slaughtered in Nebraska before it was 30 months old and showed no signs of the brain-wasting disease, said Karen Eggert, a spokeswoman for the Animal and Plant Inspection Service. Older animals carry a higher risk of BSE . Meat from the animal probably entered the food supply, Eggert said, but is at "negligible" risk of having posed a threat to animal or human health.
astings slaughterhouse faces fines for alleged safety violations OMAHA, Neb. (AP)--Four months after beef from a Hastings slaughterhouse was rejected in South Korea over fears of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, the slaughterhouse owner faces $180,900 in fines related to 37 alleged safety and health violations. Steve Sands, CEO of Premium Protein, said April 10 the company learned of the alleged violations a few days ago and will meet with OSHA officials in mid-April. Efforts to resume limited imports hit a snag over the discovery of banned bone chips, ...
Wal-Mart-owned Seiyu to start selling U.S. beef in Japan TOKYO (AP)--Seiyu Ltd., the supermarket chain owned by Wal-Mart, said March 26 some of its stores will start selling U.S. beef at a time when most major retailers here are still worried about possible health hazards. Tokyo also limits imports to beef that has been through stringent checks at selected U.S. meat processing plants. The five Costco stores run by the Japan unit of U.S. warehouse retailer Costco Wholesale Corp., are selling U.S. beef, as are other smaller chains.
South Korea, U.S. to extend beef talks The talks are aimed at bridging gaps in the agricultural component of ongoing free trade talks between the two countries as well as over U.S. beef, which has been absent from South Korean markets for more than three years. South Korea banned American beef after Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy was discovered in the United States in December 2003. South Korea agreed to resume limited imports of U.S. beef last year, but stipulated that only boneless beef from cows under 30 months of age be ...
RMFU board opposes further opening border to Canadian cattle im Meeting in Denver recently, Rocky Mountain Farmers Union Board of Directors expressed strong opposition to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's pending rule to expand imports of beef and live cattle from Canada. USDA currently has limited importation of Canadian beef from cattle younger than 30 months of age, due to numerous cases of BSE -positive cattle. "The importation of Canadian cattle and co-mingling with U.S. cattle and beef could be highly detrimental to U.S. beef producers.
Nebraska producers examine Asian markets for U.S. meat That's the consensus of three Nebraska producers who have spent a week in Japan and Taiwan attending the U.S. Meat Export Federation Market Expo. Included in the group were pork producer Troy McCain of DeWitt, beef producer David McCracken of Friend and Nebraska corn Board farmer-director David Merrell of St. Edward. Australia has a strong presence in the Japanese beef market, but Merrell said Japanese consumers prefer U.S. corn fed beef.
Federal judge rules Creekstone can test for BSE U.S. District Judge James Robertson ruled March 29 that the Arkansas City, Kan., meatpacker must be allowed to test its cattle for BSE . The case began when Creekstone Farms Premium Beef, LLC, began plans to test its meat for BSE so that it could continue to export beef to Japan, which had stopped importing U.S. beef after the first case of BSE was found in the states in December 2003. The company repeatedly stated that while it has every confidence that U.S. beef is safe, it should have ...
USDA extends BSE testing at Washington State veterinary college "Reports circulated in the media a few months ago that stated the WSU laboratory was shutting down," said Terry McElwain, executive director of the Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory at WSU. Of 759,000 animals tested, only two other infected cows were found after the initial BSE scare, proving the disease is extremely rare, the USDA said. a href="http://www.hpj.com/bsetimeline.cfm" style="text-decoration: none;">BSE disease is a chronic, degenerative disease of the brain and ...
Japan halts import from Kansas meat plant for lack of paperwork TOKYO (AP)--Japan ordered imports halted from a major meat plant in Kansas April 6 after a beef shipment arrived without proper papers, the third American meatpacker that's had some exports to Japan stopped for technical violations. Before the ban on American beef three years ago, Japan had been the top destination for U.S. beef, importing $1.4 billion worth a year. Japan limits imports of beef that has been through stringent checks at selected U.S. meat processing plants, but still imports ...

March 2007
South Korea and U.S. hold talks on beef imports as free trade d SEOUL, South Korea (AP)--South Korea and the United States began talks March 19 on banned bone fragments in American beef shipments and other agriculture issues, officials said, part of efforts to clinch a free trade deal by the end of this month. In addition to beef, ongoing efforts by the U.S. and South Korea to forge a free trade agreement will be on the agenda, said an official at South Korea's Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, who would not allow his name to be used, citing the ...
R-CALF- USDA should withdraw OTM rule "Half of Canada's detected BSE cases so far have been born after its feed ban was established, clearly demonstrating that the feed ban has not prevented subsequent cases of BSE in Canada and proving that USDA's OTM rule will increase the risk of introducing BSE -infected cattle into the United States," said R-CALF USA CEO Bill Bullard. In a region in which BSE has been detected, if an animal with BSE was born after a feed ban was implemented, it is a sign that the feed ban may not be ...
Japan to suspend shipments from California meatpacker The Ministries of Health and Agriculture said inspectors at the port of Kobe found 188 boxes of beef sausage in a shipment sent by Jobbers Meat Packing Co., among a 1,108-box shipment of sausages made from chicken, turkey and pork. Last month Japan said it would suspend beef imports from a Nebraska processing plant after finding meat in a shipment that violated a regulation imposed over BSE concerns. Plant owner Tyson Foods Inc. said the boxes of beef were mistakenly included in a shipment ...
U.S. red meat exports continued to increase in 2006 The year-end numbers for U.S. meat exports for 2006 don't lie--they show continued record breaking in U.S. pork export volume for the 15th year, rebounding U.S. beef exports and increasing totals of U.S. lamb exports. The U.S. Meat Export Federation reports U.S. pork and pork variety meat exports to countries around the world totaled 1.26 million metric tons (mt), a 9 percent increase over the previous year. Mexico led all markets in volume of U.S. pork and pork variety meat exports at 356,...
U.S. negotiator says approval of free trade deal with South Kor SEOUL, South Korea (AP)--The chief U.S. negotiator in free trade talks with South Korea expressed optimism March 8 that a deal can soon be reached, but warned that the U.S. Congress will never ratify it unless existing restrictions on American beef imports are completely removed. South Korea is the seventh largest trading partner for the U.S. Bilateral trade totaled $72 billion in 2005. U.S. lawmakers, including Max Baucus, a pro-trade senator from Montana, have blasted South Korea over the ...
Regional BSE testing laboratory at Washington State to close PULLMAN, Wash. (AP)--The only bovine spongiform encephalopahty testing laboratory in the Pacific Northwest will close March 1, just over three years after a Yakima Valley dairy cow tested positive for the chronic brain-wasting disease. The BSE lab is basically one room inside the Washington State University's Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, one of seven state laboratories conducting testing for USDA, WSU spokesman Charlie Powell said. a href="http://www.hpj.com/bsetimeline.cfm" style="...
Japan to check all imports of U.S. processed meat for beef On March 2, Japan suspended imports from Jobbers Meat Packing Co. after a 1,108-box shipment was found to include two types of sausages in 188 boxes that listed beef as an ingredient. Japan bans the import of U.S. meat products such as sausage that contain processed beef under restrictions aimed at controlling the threat of BSE . Last month Japan said it would suspend beef imports from a Nebraska processing plant after finding meat in a shipment that violated a regulation imposed over BSE ...
Agriculture important part of Doha talks Agriculture plays a huge role in the success of the president's trade negotiations according to U. S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab. Reauthorization of the Trade Promotion Authority is key to getting the trade negotiations completed and being able to work toward free trade agreements with countries like Korea and Malaysia as well as others. So as agriculture awaits a farm bill and trade policy, Schwab said a breakthrough might be near on the Doha round of the World Trade Organization.
Japan to suspend shipments from California meatpacker The Ministries of Health and Agriculture said inspectors at the port of Kobe found 188 boxes of beef sausage in a shipment sent by Jobbers Meat Packing Co., among a 1,108-box shipment of sausages made from chicken, turkey and pork. Last month Japan said it would suspend beef imports from a Nebraska processing plant after finding meat in a shipment that violated a regulation imposed over BSE concerns. Plant owner Tyson Foods Inc. said the boxes of beef were mistakenly included in a shipment ...

February 2007
South Korea, U.S. beef talks in February The official said the two sides will deal with the issue of "bone fragments," which South Korea fears could potentially harbor bovine spongiform encephlaopathy. Assistant U.S. Trade Representative Wendy Cutler said earlier this month that the proposed free trade deal wouldn't be achieved unless South Korea fully reopened its market to American beef. South Korea barred U.S. beef in December 2003 after the first reported U.S. case of BSE .
Japan rebuffs U.S. requests for early talks on U.S. beef After meeting U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns in Washington earlier in January, Japan's Agriculture Minister Toshikatsu Matsuoka said Japan was still conducting "deliberations" on the safety of U.S. beef. Japan must also conduct an audit of American beef plants, study the results and make the information available to the public. Japan banned U.S. beef imports for 2 1/2 years because of fears about bovine spongiform encephalopathy. Tokyo also limits imports to beef that has been ...
Beef war game on! The long suffering beef checkoff is back on the table and the foes of the Cattlemen's Beef Board and the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) may have finally maneuvered a place at the trough. --NCBA, based in Denver, which willed the $1 per head producer funded research, promotion and advertising program into existence over 20 years ago and has a strong relationship with the Cattlemen's Beef Board and USDA. If NCBA forms a coalition with LMA and/or R-CALF USA, then they may save ...
Japan to ban NE plant's beef The Ministries of Health and Agriculture said inspectors at the port of Yokohama found two boxes of rib meat in a shipment sent by U.S. agricultural giant Tyson Food Inc. from its plant in Lexington, Neb., that were not recorded in the accompanying shipping documents. U.S. officials have told Japan the boxes were erroneously included in the shipment, the statement said. The ministries decided to suspend shipments from the processing plant until Japan can obtain further information from U.S. ...
CSU College of Veterinary Medicine celebrates 100 years Now a worldwide hub for infectious disease research and home to the world's largest animal cancer research center, the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences boasts numerous firsts that highlight the history of the college since its establishment. The college houses four academic departments: the Department of Biomedical Sciences; Department of Clinical Sciences; Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences; and the Department of Microbiology, Immunology and ...
Beef producers tell it like it is A new beef checkoff-funded website tells the beef production story--often in the words of beef producers themselves. The site, www.BeefFromPastureToPlate.org, covers the entire production chain, from gestation to dinner presentation, and features producer profiles, a live "Ask a Producer" page, fact sheets, recipes, safety tips and even beef trivia. The website gives beef producers, along with other segments of the beef production chain, an opportunity to share their heart-felt passion for ...
U.S., South Korea fail to bridge gap over beef ban Agriculture officials from the two countries met for two days of "technical consultations" requested by Washington over South Korea's rejection of U.S. beef imports for containing banned bone fragments. South Korea banned all imports of U.S. beef in December 2003 after the first reported U.S. case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy. The U.S. has defended the safety of American beef and accused South Korea of using the issue of bone fragments to impose an unofficial import ban.
Cattle farmers protest as South Korean, U.S. officials discuss SEOUL, South Korea (AP)--Cattle farmers protested Feb. 7 as U.S. and South Korean officials discussed easing restrictions on imports of American beef, an issue Washington says threatens to scuttle a possible free trade agreement. About 30 South Korean farmers chanted "No U.S. beef, no more talks" and burned an effigy of a U.S. cow painted with anti-free trade slogans in Anyang, just south of Seoul, the site of the two-day talks. Assistant U.S. Trade Representative Wendy Cutler, Washington's ...
U.S., Korean beef talks soon The meeting, described as a "technical consultation," was requested by U.S. officials and comes as the two sides are at odds over the bone fragment issue, which South Korea fears could potentially harbor bovine spongiform encephalopathy. Assistant U.S. Trade Representative Wendy Cutler said in January that the proposed free trade deal would not be achieved unless South Korea fully reopened its market to American beef. South Korea barred U.S. beef in December 2003 after the first reported U.S...
Producer paid for Canadian cattle sent to Swift The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association was pleased to learn that Jan Van Dyke, Wessington Springs, was recently paid for Canadian cattle that had been condemned at a Swift packing plant in Nebraska. Van Dyke, a farmer/feeder, says the calves were not represented as Canadian cattle at the market where he purchased them in February 2006. Although we had not known that they were Canadian cattle, we recognized the eartags that were shown to us by the inspector after the cattle were received ...
Meat exports help pork producers Increasing profitability of beef, pork and lamb by enhancing the demand for the product is the goal of the United States Meat Export Federation. "The future includes more work with branded products including generic brands, store brands, breed brands, geographic brands, natural brands and private brands," said Caspers. He reminded attendees that the USMEF continues to work to expand meat exports markets because it provides a better market for U.S. red meat.
Deputy ag boss gets earful from R-CALF USA Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Chuck Conner told the group that keeping the U.S. beef market competitive to help producers get a fair price is a priority and that beef trade should be based on the Golden Rule. When 45 countries closed their borders to U.S. beef, $4 billion in trade has since been lost, Conner said. Conner said anyone who cares about animals can benefit from the now voluntary animal ID system, but those whose livelihoods depend on animal agriculture have the greatest stake.
The animal's carcass is under CFIA control, and no part of it entered the human food or animal feed systems. Preliminary information indicates that the age of the animal falls well within the age range of previous cases detected in Canada under the national BSE surveillance program. The finding of a mature animal should not impact Canada's BSE country categorization submission to the World Organization for Animal Health.

January 2007
The marvels of science I had scheduled a meeting with Dr. Matt Wheeler at the University of Illinois to discuss cloning of food animals. And likewise the story about genetic modification of beef animals to eliminate a disease that people are so freaked out about? The CDC reports that rabies annually still kills 50,000 people worldwide and 10 million people receive post-exposure vaccinations against the disease.
South Korea rejects beef talks SEOUL (AP)--South Korea has rejected a U.S. request to discuss American beef and poultry imports in late December as part of broader free trade talks, calling the forum inappropriate. "Recently, the U.S. asked that American beef imports and the easing of import bans on poultry products during bird flu outbreaks be discussed in this week's session," the ministry said. South Korea and the U.S. have been at odds since Seoul rejected all three shipments of U.S. beef that have arrived since the ...
Scientists develop prion-free cows SAN FRANCISCO (AP)--Scientists have genetically engineered a dozen cows to be free from the proteins that cause bovine spongiform encephalopathy, a breakthrough that may make the animals immune to the brain-wasting disease. "This research is a huge step forward for the use of animal biotechnology that benefits consumers," said Barbara Glenn of the Biotechnology Industry Organization, a Washington, D.C., industry group that includes the company that sponsored the research as a member. The ...
Japan restaurants want more U.S. beef Though Tokyo eased a 2 1/2 year blanket ban on U.S. beef in July, lingering trade restrictions over fears of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy has meant only a trickle of U.S. beef has made it back into the country. Less than 30 percent of restaurants that used U.S. beef in 2003 before the ban now serve the meat, according to a recent JFSA poll of 130 steak, beef rice bowl and grilled beef restaurant chains across the country. Tokyo has also limited imports to beef that has been through ...
Illegal Canadian cattle discovered in the U.S. The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association hopes the U.S. Department of Agriculture will take the necessary steps to remedy a loss of revenue for a South Dakota producer who unknowingly purchased Canadian feeder cattle, says SDSGA President Rick Fox. The fact that these calves showed up at a salebarn in South Dakota, were allowed to intermingle with U.S. cattle, and were not represented as Canadian cattle, indicates that USDA is not monitoring the very system it created." Fox said that SDSGA ...
R-CALF appeals court decision The Brief claims that in August 2006, the District Court ruled against R-CALF USA's request for a permanent injunction only because the District Court incorrectly concluded that the 9th Circuit already had resolved the merits of R-CALF USA's entire case. The Brief, however, explains that in addition to 1,000 pages of the Administrative Record filed by USDA after the preliminary injunction proceedings, R-CALF USA and USDA each filed approximately 100 pages of additional briefs and hundreds of...
U.S., Korea talks likely delayed SEOUL (AP)--The U.S. is likely to delay talks with South Korea on a dispute over Seoul's rejection of U.S. beef shipments, an official said Jan. 7, as a survey showed more than a third of South Korean consumers associate U.S. beef with bovine spongiform encephalopathy. The two sides had planned to meet in Seoul Jan. 8 and 9 to discuss South Korea's decision to turn back all three recent shipments of U.S. beef citing they contained banned bone fragments that Seoul fears could potentially ...
USDA seeks to allow more imports from Canada The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Jan. 4 announced a proposal to expand the list of allowable imports from countries recognized as presenting a minimal risk of introducing Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy into the United States. The proposal expands upon a rule published by APHIS in January 2005 that allowed the importation of certain live ruminants and ruminant products, including cattle under 30 months of age for delivery to a slaughterhouse or...
South Korea, U.S. to discuss beef The talks scheduled for Jan. 8 and 9 in Seoul come weeks after South Korea rejected all three recent shipments of American beef because of bone fragments that South Korea fears could potentially harbor bovine spongiform encephalopathy. Adding to the woes of the U.S. cattle industry, South Korean officials said they discovered unacceptable levels of the dioxin in the third American beef shipment. Imports resumed in October last year, but American beef has never reached South Korean consumers ...
Ag leader Ament to retire from public service "Serving as Colorado agriculture's principal advocate has been the most rewarding part of my career," Ament said. In the Senate, Ament served as Chairman of the Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources, he chaired the Capitol Development Committee and served on the Senate Education Committee. Ament served as president of the Western Association of State Departments of Agriculture and chairman of the Natural Resources Committee of the National Association of State Departments of ...
South Korea, U.S. differ on dioxin SEOUL, South Korea (AP)--South Korea and the United States traded questions Dec. 22 over a shipment of U.S. beef found to have included dioxin levels exceeding South Korea's norm, officials said. The discovery was the latest bad news for the U.S. cattle industry in South Korea, already dealing with the rejection of three recent shipments of beef for including banned bone fragments, which South Korea fears could potentially harbor bovine spongiform encephalopathy. Seoul has asked Washington to...
Japan mulls meatpacker errors TOKYO (AP)--Japanese government officials Dec. 7 began assessing a U.S. government report recommending corrective steps to be taken by a U.S. meatpacker that made a shipment last month without proper documentation, an official said. The "inappropriate shipment" originated from the plant's offal department where sorting of offal products was taking place, Japan's Agriculture Ministry said on its website, citing a report by the Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service. ...

December 2006
U.S. cattle producers finally see action in re-opening of Russi The official signing of a bilateral trade agreement between the United States and Russia means U.S. beef has regained access to the Russian market, effective immediately pending a plant audit tour by Russian inspectors. After site visits from a Russian audit team, the market will immediately open to U.S. boneless beef, bone-in beef and beef variety meats from cattle under 30 months of age with an approved export certificate. "In 2003, Russia was the fifth largest export market for U.S. beef ...
South Korea bars Creekstone beef South Korea said it will refuse further beef shipments from Kansas meat packer Creekstone Farms Premium Beef after finding a 10-millimeter bone shard in a shipment from the plant. SEOUL (AP)--South Korea said Nov. 24 it would suspend imports of U.S. beef from a Kansas slaughterhouse after government inspectors found a tiny piece of bone in a shipment. South Korea, which had banned U.S. beef for almost three years over bovine spongiform encephalopathy fears, in September said it would allow ...
Iowa BSE lab procedures OK AMES, Iowa (AP)--A U.S. government lab properly disposed of waste from animals used in bovine spongiform encephalopathy research but should take further precautions to safeguard the city's water supply, a panel of scientists said. The eight-person panel investigated complaints that the National Animal Disease Center failed to properly treat the waste--including necropsy waste from animals that died of infectious diseases such as BSE and chronic wasting disease--before it was sent to the city'...
Government won't make animal IDs mandatory after all WASHINGTON (AP)--The Bush administration is abandoning plans to make farmers and ranchers register their cows, pigs and chickens in a nationwide database intended to help limit disease outbreaks. Faced with widespread opposition, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said Nov. 22 the animal tracking program should remain voluntary. "Really embracing this as a voluntary program will help the trust issues that some farmers and ranchers have raised about the national animal identification system," ...
U.S. tries again to increase cattle imports from Canada WASHINGTON (AP)--The U.S. Department of Agriculture is again trying to increase cattle and beef imports from Canada, reviving a plan that had stalled amid evidence that Canada's safeguards against bovine spongiform encephalopathy were not working. The only known way for cattle to get the disease is by eating feed containing diseased cattle tissue, a practice largely outlawed in Canada and the United States in 1997. Canada found its first case of BSE in May 2003, prompting the U.S. to impose ...
U.S. seeks South Korea beef talks The U.S. is expected to call for lowering the South's quarantine standards at the talks that have yet to be scheduled, said the official with South Korea's Agriculture Ministry, requesting anonymity citing protocol. Imports resumed in October, but American beef has never reached South Korean consumers because quarantine authorities rejected all shipments that have arrived so far for containing tiny bone fragments. South Korea barred U.S. beef imports in December 2003 after the first reported...
South Korea rejects beef talks SEOUL (AP)--South Korea has rejected a U.S. request to discuss American beef and poultry imports in late December as part of broader free trade talks, calling the forum inappropriate. "Recently, the U.S. asked that American beef imports and the easing of import bans on poultry products during bird flu outbreaks be discussed in this week's session," the ministry said. South Korea and the U.S. have been at odds since Seoul rejected all three shipments of U.S. beef that have arrived since the ...
South Korea finds more bone pieces SEOUL (AP)--South Korea said Dec. 6 it has found banned bone pieces in a third shipment of U.S. beef and will suspend imports from the U.S. slaughterhouse that processed the meat. Seven bone pieces were found in the 10.2-ton shipment of American beef that arrived in South Korea on Dec. 1, said Kim Yang-il, an official of the country's agriculture ministry. The two other U.S. slaughterhouses where the shipments of meat with bone pieces were processed were also suspended from handling meat ...
R-CALF- 9th Circuit denies USDA's request to dismiss case R-CALF USA filed litigation against USDA in January 2005, claiming the agency's Final Rule on "Minimal Risk Regions: Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy and the Importation of Commodities," which relaxed long-standing import restrictions for countries affected by BSE, was inadequate to protect the U.S. cattle industry from the introduction of BSE from Canada. R-CALF USA must file its opening brief by Dec. 11, and USDA's reply brief is due Jan. 10, 2007, exactly two years after R-CALF USA filed ...
MCA holds annual convention and trade show "The state of the beef industry today is exceptional," Mike John, National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) president said. Mike John is a Missouri cattleman himself and former president of the Missouri Cattlemen's Association. In his report at the Missouri Cattlemen's Association annual meeting John Kleiboeker, executive director of the Missouri Beef Industry Council (MBIC), outlined a new research project funded by the checkoff.
Japan restaurants want more U.S. beef Though Tokyo eased a 2 1/2 year blanket ban on U.S. beef in July, lingering trade restrictions over fears of bovine spongiform encephalopathy has meant only a trickle of U.S. beef has made it back into the country. Less than 30 percent of restaurants that used U.S. beef in 2003 before the ban now serve the meat, according to a recent JFSA poll of 130 steak, beef rice bowl and grilled beef restaurant chains across the country. Tokyo has also limited imports to beef that has been through ...
Montana Stockgrowers applaud Baucus for leadership The Montana Stockgrowers Association applauds Senator Max Baucus for his leadership in negotiating with South Korea and pushing to open its markets to Montana beef. Four top Montana Stockgrowers officials met with South Korean trade leaders during Sunday's (Dec. 3) gathering at Gallatin Gateway Inn, expressing concerns that trade barriers against U.S. beef aren't science based and arguing that American beef is safe. Senator Baucus has also stated that any Free Trade Agreement with South Korea...
U.S. tries again to increase cattle imports from Canada WASHINGTON (AP)--The U.S. Department of Agriculture is again trying to increase cattle and beef imports from Canada, reviving a plan that had stalled amid evidence that Canada's safeguards against bovine spongiform encephalopathy were not working. The only known way for cattle to get the disease is by eating feed containing diseased cattle tissue, a practice largely outlawed in Canada and the United States in 1997. Canada found its first case of BSE in May 2003, prompting the U.S. to impose ...
South Korea rejects more U.S. beef SEOUL, South Korea (AP)--South Korea said Dec. 1 it would suspend imports of beef from a U.S. slaughterhouse after inspectors found three bone fragments in a shipment, a violation of an agreement related to bovine spongiform encepahlopathy. The National Veterinary Research and Quarantine Service said the shipment containing the bone fragments originated from Premium Protein Products LLC in Hastings, a beef processing plant in Nebraska. South Korea, which had banned U.S. beef for almost three ...
South Korea finds more bone pieces SEOUL (AP)--South Korea said Dec. 6 it has found banned bone pieces in a third shipment of U.S. beef and will suspend imports from the U.S. slaughterhouse that processed the meat. Seven bone pieces were found in the 10.2-ton shipment of American beef that arrived in South Korea on Dec. 1, said Kim Yang-il, an official of the country's agriculture ministry. The two other U.S. slaughterhouses where the shipments of meat with bone pieces were processed were also suspended from handling meat ...
NCBA- Halt South Korean beef trade WASHINGTON (AP)--Cattle ranchers want the U.S. government to halt beef trade with South Korea because the country is blocking shipments from a meatpacker in Kansas. During the previous week, South Korea suspended imports from Creekstone Farms Premium Beef because authorities said they found a bone fragment in boneless beef. U.S. beef shipments had resumed only recently, after lengthy negotiations with South Korea, which banned U.S. beef after the discovery of bovine spongiform encephalopathy...
Iowa beef producers on trade mission to Japan Three Iowans representing Iowa's beef industry on a beef trade mission to Japan in November, report that Japanese beef consumers and buyers are ready for supplies of U.S. beef to return to 2003 levels. Response to beef promotions conducted by the U.S. Meat Export Federation show that many Japanese consumers prefer the taste and quality of U.S. beef over that currently supplied by Australia. "We visited five importers and wholesale companies, and all expressed the desire for U.S. beef exports...
DLP starts anti-U.S. beef campaign SEOUL (AP)--A left-leaning South Korean opposition party launched a campaign Nov. 14 to buy up and destroy U.S. beef, expected to go on sale soon now that a three-year import ban has been lifted. South Korea shut its doors to U.S. beef imports in December 2003 after the first reported U.S. case of BSE. In September this year, South Korea reached full agreement with the U.S. to reopen its market to American beef.
Digging up bones The proverbial "other shoe" dropped in the ongoing saga of U.S. beef trade with South Korea. South Korea's baseless rejection of U.S. beef resulted in strong criticisms from the U.S. beef industry, members of Congress, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Unfortunately, the agreement reached between the United States and South Korea to resume U.S. beef trade was inadequate and full of risk.
Ag secretary criticizes S. Korea for rejecting U.S. beef shipment WASHINGTON (AP)--U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns criticized South Korea for halting beef shipments from a U.S. meatpacker, saying authorities there had "invented" a standard for imports. The country was a major buyer of U.S. beef, purchasing more than $1.2 billion in beef products in the year before the ban, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In late November, South Korea suspended imports from Creekstone Farms Premium Beef because authorities said they found a bone ...

November 2006
U.S. beef arrives in S. Korea SEOUL (AP)--The first shipment of U.S. beef in nearly three years arrived in South Korea Oct. 30 after the country lifted an import ban triggered by fears of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, the Agriculture Ministry said. South Korea shut its doors to U.S. beef imports in December 2003 after the first reported U.S. case of BSE. The main problems were that some of the U.S. slaughterhouses designated to handle meat for export to South Korea either didn't separate American and foreign beef, or...
Trade on deck It was likely prompted by the fact that a number of lawmakers would not support a U.S.-South Korea FTA without the resumption of U.S. beef trade in advance. It will be impossible for Congress to approve a bilateral trade agreement with South Korea without real forward movement towards beef trade resumption. USTR and folks in the U.S. Department of Agriculture are taking note of the lesson from the situation in South Korea and have been firm in their support for U.S. beef trade.
Japan finds 30th BSE case TOKYO (AP)--Japan's Agriculture Ministry said Nov. 13 that it confirmed that a cow from northern Japan had the country's 30th case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy. Tests on the five-year-old dairy cow performed at the National Institute of Animal Health confirmed that the cow, which died at a ranch on Japan's northernmost island of Hokkaido, was infected with the fatal illness. Japan has now confirmed 30 animals infected with the fatal illness since the first case in Japan was detected in...
DLP starts anti-U.S. beef campaign SEOUL (AP)--A left-leaning South Korean opposition party launched a campaign Nov. 14 to buy up and destroy U.S. beef, expected to go on sale soon now that a three-year import ban has been lifted. South Korea shut its doors to U.S. beef imports in December 2003 after the first reported U.S. case of BSE. In September this year, South Korea reached full agreement with the U.S. to reopen its market to American beef.
Japan finds 30th BSE case TOKYO (AP)--Japan's Agriculture Ministry said Nov. 13 that it confirmed that a cow from northern Japan had the country's 30th case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy. Tests on the five-year-old dairy cow performed at the National Institute of Animal Health confirmed that the cow, which died at a ranch on Japan's northernmost island of Hokkaido, was infected with the fatal illness. Japan has now confirmed 30 animals infected with the fatal illness since the first case in Japan was defected in...
U.S. beef arrives in S. Korea SEOUL (AP)--The first shipment of U.S. beef in nearly three years arrived in South Korea Oct. 30 after the country lifted an import ban triggered by fears of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, the Agriculture Ministry said. South Korea shut its doors to U.S. beef imports in December 2003 after the first reported U.S. case of BSE. The main problems were that some of the U.S. slaughterhouses designated to handle meat for export to South Korea either didn't separate American and foreign beef, or...
Colombia, Peru open markets to U.S. beef U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns and U.S. Trade Representative Susan C. Schwab on Nov. 3 applauded the recent actions by Colombia and Peru to lift their BSE-related bans on U.S. beef and beef product imports. "We are very pleased to see the Peruvian and Colombian markets reopened to U.S. beef and beef products. The reopening of these two markets restores two-thirds of the market access for U.S. beef and beef products in South America.

October 2006
South Dakota Stockgrowers' annual convention successful The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association again hosted one of the best cattle industry events in the region--the SDSGA Annual Convention, Sept. 14 and 15 in Spearfish. SDSGA President Rick Fox, Hermosa, S.D., recalled Vince's lifelong devotion to the cattle industry. SDSGA Past President Ken Knuppe, Buffalo Gap; President Rick Fox, Vice President Larry Nelson, Buffalo, and Executive Director Carrie Stadheim, Rapid City, thanked Smith for her dedication and passion for the betterment of the ...
Reader- USDA should be blamed, not thanked for BSE mess So, Seymour Kleirly thinks that we beef producers owe a debt of gratitude to USDA and our trade representatives for the partial reopening of the Asian beef trade after three years of closure. Then to add insult to injury, Ag Secretary Mike (beef prices are too high) Johanns and our (import at any cost) trade reps compounded our export problems by opening up our trade with Canada too soon. Japan tests all of their beef for BSE, South Korea wants no Canadian beef--to which USDA and our trade ...
Nebraska Corn Board works for increased U.S. beef exports to th Using a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Emerging Markets Program, the Nebraska Corn Board helped co-sponsor a weeklong workshop in the U.S. for the Chief Veterinary Officers and other animal health officials of several Caribbean countries. In addition to the Nebraska Corn Board, workshop sponsors included the U.S. Meat Export Federation, Nebraska Beef Council, Nebraska Cattlemen and Nebraska Farm Bureau. "The meetings in Washington D.C. and in Nebraska provided us with a ...
Exports dominated an eventful year, TCFA chairman tells cattlemen "The single most critical issue facing our industry since December 2003 has been the reopening of our major export destinations for beef," said John Gillcrist, chairman of the Texas Cattle Feeders Association. "Beef exports represented 10 percent of annual production when the U.S. experienced its first BSE case in late December 2003. And a 10 percent loss in market share is significant, he told members of TCFA and the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association during a joint session ...
U.S. beef gets mixed reaction Yoshinoya, which runs 1,000 restaurants nationwide, couldn't bring the beef bowl back before the day billed as "Resurrection Festival for the Beef Bowl" because of difficulties in getting a sufficient beef supply. Ahead of its ban, South Korea was the third-largest foreign market for American beef, after Japan and Mexico, importing US$815 million in beef and beef products. In 2005, Australia exported a record 405,000 tons of beef to Japan worth around $1.8 billion (U.S.) and 106,000 tons of...
Japan suspects 29th BSE case Preliminary tests on the animal at the Ishikari Livestock Hygiene Service Center in Hokkaido prefecture (state) on Japan's northernmost main island were positive, said Hokkaido official Hiroyuki Takeuchi. To date, Japan has confirmed 28 animals infected with the fatal illness since the first case in Japan was detected in 2001. In July, Japan eased the ban, with U.S. beef hitting some retailers' shelves the following month.
Japan's expected 2006 U.S. beef imports a fraction of old level He said the trade group would boost its campaign to draw consumers back to U.S. beef. Japan used to be the most lucrative market for U.S. beef exporters. Though Tokyo eased its two-year blanket ban on U.S. beef in July, the lingering trade restrictions and a resulting supply crunch has meant only a trickle of U.S. beef has made it back into the country. Japan imposed a blanket ban on U.S. beef in December 2003 after the first reported case of mad cow disease in the U.S. herd.
U.S. beef unavailable in Japanese stores TOKYO (AP)--It's been weeks since Japan ditched its import ban on U.S. beef and the first shipment went on sale, but American beef is nowhere to be seen at supermarkets here--except this nation's five Costco stores. Costco Wholesale Japan Inc., a unit of U.S. warehouse retailer Costco Wholesale Corp., is one exception in pushing American beef. The other high-profile enthusiast for U.S. beef is fast-food chain Yoshinoya D&C Co., which made its fortune on the beef bowl, a serving of hot rice ...
Japan imported 105 tons of U.S. beef in August, first month aft Though Tokyo eased its two-year blanket ban on U.S. beef in July, the lingering trade restrictions and a resulting supply crunch has meant only a trickle of U.S. beef has made it back into the country. Japan imposed a blanket ban on U.S. beef in December 2003 after the first reported case of BSE in a U.S. herd. It eased the ban in July after U.S. and Japanese officials hammered out a deal that included strict restrictions and stringent checks at U.S. meat processing plants.

September 2006
Japan BBQ firm to offer U.S. beef TOKYO (AP)--A Japanese restaurant chain plans to resume serving U.S. beef soon at dozens of its branches nationwide, company officials said Aug. 26. Zenshoku, based in the western Osaka prefecture, said it will offer U.S. beef at its 57 Korean barbecue restaurants across Japan, but company spokeswoman Tae Okuda said no date has been set yet. However, businesses have since been slow to carry U.S. beef, using domestic and Australian beef instead.
Survey- Producers want next farm bill to address bioenergy Lubben said producers identified three fundamental policy areas as key goals for the new farm bill: Renewable energy, small and beginning farm and ranch opportunities and food security. Lubben coordinated a similar producer survey with the Farm Foundation five years ago before the current farm bill was written. "The survey results indicated all of the existing farm programs were supported by producers, but it is clear that there are preferences if program cuts and tradeoffs are necessary," ...
Producers need to use strategies to manage risk The volatility of market prices has increased the need for producers to set aside old marketing habits and embrace risk management strategies, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln livestock marketing specialist said. Risk management strategies can guarantee producers a set price for their crops or livestock, Mark said. Risk management tools can assure producers a sale price and protect them from large price drops.
Kansas meatpackers say South Korea move will boost sales South Korea had been one of the largest foreign beef markets before the country shut its doors to American beef imports in 2003 after the first U.S. case of BSE. Before 2003, Creekstone had sold about one-third of its beef to Japan, which at one time imported $1.4 billion worth of U.S. beef a year. Kansas cattlemen agree Japan's decision this summer to resume imports of U.S. beef is having a noticeable impact.
CCA is the ultimate voice of Colorado's beef industry Through a strong membership base, legislative representation, research and education, information distribution, public relations, and issues management, CCA has successfully represented Colorado beef producers since 1867. CCA is represented at the capitol every day, making sure that the legislators know where Colorado beef producers stand on national, international and state issues. "With the new memberships rolling in daily, CCA continues to be the voice for Colorado cattle producers," ...
KSU prof- Control measures have played important role in reduci The primary BSE control mechanism to prevent the spread of the disease in the nation's cattle herd is a ban instituted in 1997 on feeding meat and bone meal from ruminant animals to sheep and cattle, Larson said. According to Larson, the U.S. control measures are also comparable to successful control programs instituted in other countries, particularly England which has had almost had all of cases of BSE that have occurred in the world. "England has been very successful and basically has ...
SD Stockgrowers invite all to annual convention The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association (SDSGA) encourages everyone to attend the 2006 Annual Convention Sept. 14 and 15 at the Holiday Inn Convention Center in Spearfish. Then, Fox says, the Trade Committee will hear from Dr. Doug Zalesky, Hesperus, Colo., Chairman of R-CALF USA's International Trade Committee. SDSGA Animal ID Committee Chairman Kenny Fox hopes everyone plans to stay for the second day of the convention to hear USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service veterinarian ...
Rancher believes ID is "ridiculous" The U.S. continues to import cattle and meat from countries that have BSE and other potential serious diseases such as hoof and mouth disease. The ID system will also cost ranchers and sale barns a lot of extra money. The ID system will also cost ranchers in cattle shrinkage caused by extra handlings, as well as tags, time, and all the rest of the necessary nonsense that will be involved in marketing cattle.
Japan restaurant will serve U.S. beef TOKYO (AP)--Many Japanese consumers will get their first taste of U.S. beef since Japan eased its import ban last month, after a Japanese restaurant chain said Aug. 25 it would use the meat as early as late August, according to news reports. Osaka-based Korean barbecue chain Zenshoku Co. will serve U.S. beef at about 70 Korean barbecue restaurants across Japan, likely the first chain in Japan to serve American beef since Japan lifted the total ban, according to Kyodo News agency. Only Costco ...
Japanese officials to inspect 2 U.S. beef facilities Tokyo in early August lifted its six-month-old ban on U.S. beef after evaluating the results of a month-long inspection tour by Japanese officials of the 35 processing plants seeking to export American meat. Aug. 7, farm and health ministry officials will begin a six-day visit to the two plants to evaluate their progress in satisfying the export program's conditions, Agriculture Ministry official Hiroaki Ogura said. Japan was a huge consumer of U.S. beef before December 2003, when it first ...
Hong Kong allows U.S. beef back (AP)--The Hong Kong government confirmed Sept. 1 that the city has revoked a beef import ban that was imposed on three U.S. companies after bones banned under safety measures were found in their shipments months ago. Since a two-year ban on U.S. beef was lifted Dec. 29, 2005 Hong Kong had banned beef imports from three U.S. companies--Harris Ranch Beef Co. in California in May, Cargill Meat Solutions Corp., in Kansas in April, and Swift Beef Co., in Colorado in March--after the bones were ...

August 2006
Three new R-CALF directors assume duties From a field of three candidates that included R-CALF USA National Membership Co-Chair Margene Eiguren, of Jordan Valley, Ore., and Mary Ann Murray, of Jordan, Mont., who serves on R-CALF USA Animal ID Committee, Region I members elected to the post Dennis McDonald, of Melville, Mont., who previously served as co-chair of R-CALF USA's International Trade Committee. Region II members elected R-CALF USA Marketing Committee Co-Chair Randy Stevenson, of Wheatland, Wyo. Stepping down from his ...
TekVet's medical monitor keeps track of cows' health NORTH SALT LAKE, Utah (AP)--As a third-generation livestock producer in Utah, Bret Smith knows firsthand the "joys" of checking cattle for disease and illness. TekVet has created a wireless ear tag that contains a digital thermometer and computer chip that allows livestock managers to continually monitor their animals' location and core temperature to determine which animals might be sick, and which others they have been in contact with. Richard Keene, the company's chief technology officer, ...
Open for business A sigh of relief echoed throughout farm and ranch country last week with the welcome news that Japan has, for the most part, lifted it's ban on American beef. Members of Congress need no reminding of the massive effort to lift Japan's two-year ban on American beef just to have the ban slapped back on a month later due to a inadvertent shipment of veal which contained a spinal column from a calf under 20 months of age. Science based standards must ultimately prevail, otherwise the recovering...
Not the end. Not even close. When the announcement came that Japan had opened its borders to U.S. beef, there was not much fanfare. The best explanation I've heard about BSE testing is, "Testing cattle that are 30-months-old for BSE is like testing a 2-year-old for Alzheimer's Disease." The U.S. beef industry has done an excellent job educating the American public about BSE.
Diet trends boost meat glut After years of people stuffing themselves with chicken, pork and beef while they were following low-carb diets like Atkins, the meat industry is looking at a glut as the diet trend turns toward a more balanced approach. Retail prices for meats are forecast to be flat to 1 percent lower this year, compared with a 2 to 3 percent increase for all foods, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. "The popularity of high-protein, low-carb diets gave an extra kick to demand for meats," said ...
USDA seeks to stymie R-CALF suit The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Aug. 21 filed a rarely used Motion for Summary Affirmance (USDA Motion) with the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals (9th Circuit). The USDA Motion urges the 9th Circuit not to proceed with the previously scheduled briefings and arguments in R-CALF USA's challenge of USDA's Minimal Risk Region Rule (Final Rule), which relaxed long-standing import restrictions for countries with bovine spongiform encephalopathy. The USDA Motion asserts that R-CALF USA had ...
Japanese consumers sub U.S. beef imports TOKYO (AP)--It's been weeks since Japan ditched its import ban on U.S. beef and the first shipment went on sale, but American beef is nowhere to be seen at supermarkets here--except this nation's five Costco stores. Costco Wholesale Japan Inc., a unit of U.S. warehouse retailer Costco Wholesale Corp., is one exception in pushing American beef. The other high-profile enthusiast for U.S. beef is fast-food chain Yoshinoya D&C Co., which made its fortune on the beef bowl, a serving of hot rice ...
BSE confirmed in Alberta No part of the animal's carcass entered the human food or animal feed systems. Preliminary information provided by the owner and an examination conducted by a private veterinarian estimate the animal's age was between eight and ten years of age. The estimated age of this animal is consistent with those of previous Canadian cases and exposure to a very low level of BSE infectivity.
U.S., S.Korea close to agreement Park gave no time frame, saying only that the market would open after the United States addresses South Korean concerns over how beef at U.S. slaughterhouses is processed. South Korea was the third-largest foreign market for American beef after Japan and Mexico when it shut its doors in December 2003, when the U.S. reported its first case of BSE. South Korea wants U.S. beef processed separately from foreign beef in U.S. facilities.
Survey- Uphill climb for U.S. beef Sales of U.S. beef resumed in mid-August for the first time since January, after Tokyo announced on July 27 that it was easing its ban on imports of U.S. beef over bovine spongiform encephalopathy fears. Seven companies--including McDonald's Holdings Co. and Zensho Co., which also sells beef bowl dishes--said they had no plans to use U.S. beef, while seven others indicated they won't use U.S. beef "for the time being," Kyodo News reported. Japan initially banned U.S. beef imports in December ...
R-CALF director testifies at Iowa farm bill hearing Yet during the past decade, U.S. cattle producers have faced significant obstacles in both the domestic and international markets, and since 1994, more than 122,000 cattle ranches and farms have exited the beef cattle business. "While the meatpacking industry has seen dramatic consolidation, packers have also increasingly used non-traditional contracting and marketing methods that further erode the selling power of cattle producers," Nelson explained. "Such methods include purchasing cattle...
Japan OKs CA meatpacker TOKYO (AP)--Japan's Agriculture Ministry said Aug. 15 it has authorized a pending approval for a California-based meatpacker to resume beef exports to Japan, making it the last of the 35 U.S. beef processors allowed to return to the Japanese market. Tokyo announced on July 27 an easing of its import ban of U.S. beef over bovine spongiform encephalopathy fears, and sales of American beef resumed in early August for the first time since January. Japan initially recognized 34 U.S. meatpackers as...
Japan confirms 28th case of BSE The 6 1/2-year-old dairy cow in Japan's northern island state of Hokkaido tested positive for the disease Aug. 11, the ministry said in a statement. Sales of American beef resumed this week for the first time since January, after Tokyo's July 27 announcement easing its latest ban on U.S. beef imports over BSE fears. Japan initially banned American beef imports in December 2003 after the first case of BSE in the U.S.
U.S. beef for sale in Japan TOKYO (AP)--Costco Wholesale Japan was set Aug. 9 to start the first sales of U.S. beef in Japan since the end of a ban imposed in January over bovine spongiform encephalopathy, a news report said. Japan banned American beef in December 2003 after the first case of BSE in the U.S. Japan was a huge consumer of U.S. beef before December 2003, importing some $1.4 billion worth and creating its most lucrative overseas market.
Rebuilding beef trade with Japan could take years OMAHA, Nebraska (AP)--Now that Japan has lifted its ban on U.S. beef, American beef producers are eager to resume trade there, but analysts say restoring sales to pre-ban levels and regaining the trust of Japanese consumers will be a slow process. Fears of bovine spongiform encephalopathy prompted Japan and other countries to ban U.S. beef in 2003, but that ban was lifted in December. The beef trade with Japan is important to the industry because it was the top export market for U.S. beef.

July 2006
Roberts meets with Taiwan delegation on beef imports U.S. Senator Pat Roberts recently met with a group of Taiwanese legislators to discuss resuming beef trade of U.S. bone-in-beef products. I pressed the Taiwanese legislators to lift the remaining ban U.S. beef products." Decisions to open the remaining markets to U.S. beef have been hampered by a politically charged climate in Taiwan.
Japan to OK U.S. beef import resumption, officials say TOKYO (AP)--Japan is preparing to approve a resumption of imports of U.S. beef this week, officials said July 25, despite a report that Japanese inspectors found problems at some U.S. meat processing plants. Officials from Japan's agriculture and health ministries are expected to decide soon, possibly when the Food Safety Commission meets July 27, on whether to allow U.S. beef back into Japan. But Japanese inspectors who toured U.S. meat processing facilities have found compliance problems "...
Japan prepares to lift beef ban Kyodo News agency said Japan was to officially approve an import resumption the following week, but Agriculture Ministry official Yoshihiro Kawada said the timing of an approval cannot be predicted. Tokyo is currently in the final stages of lifting the ban, with Japanese inspectors returning home Sunday after a monthlong monitoring mission of U.S. meat processing plants--a condition Japan requested in June when it agreed in principle to resume imports. Agriculture Minister Shoichi Nakagawa ...
Japanese government lifts ban on U.S. beef imports TOKYO (AP)--The Japanese government officially approved resumption of U.S. beef imports from selected meat processing plants on July 27, easing a blanket ban imposed earlier this year over bovine spongiform encephalopathy fears, officials said. The approval came after a strategy meeting of the Agriculture ministry on July 27, where officials debated when to start accepting beef shipments and other details, according to ministry official Hiroaki Ogura. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party ...
Court schedule set for appeal process The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals (9th Circuit) has established the following schedule regarding R-CALF USA's recent appeal of an April 2006 decision by U.S. District Judge Richard F. Cebull. "The 9th Circuit ruled in July 2005 that USDA should be given deference in this matter, but there's never been an evaluation of all of the evidence, by either the 9th Circuit or the District Court," said R-CALF USA President and Region V Director Chuck Kiker. Background: A preliminary injunction, ...
Consumer groups pan BSE testing cut "If you do testing of 100 percent of your animals, any ones that test positive never go into the food chain," said Michael Hansen of Consumers Union. The current testing level--1,000 each day--reflects the heightened concern that followed the discovery in December 2003 of BSE in the U.S. Tests have since turned up two more cases of the disease. Johanns said testing has nothing to do with the safety of U.S. beef for consumers in the U.S. and abroad.
U.S. cautious about beef-trade deal WASHINGTON (AP)--U.S. beef shipments to Japan could resume within weeks under a new agreement, but the Bush administration cautioned that the deal to restore trade interrupted by Japanese bovine spongiform encephalopathy concerns could still fall through. Hours earlier, Japan announced it would end a ban on importing U.S. beef pending inspections of American meat processing plants. "U.S. beef producers remain skeptical of Japan's dependability as a trading partner," Stokes said.
Roberts calls on China to honor deal to open markets to U.S. be U.S. Senator Pat Roberts recently led a bipartisan group of Senators in sending a letter to urge Chinese President Hu Jintao to honor a commitment to open Chinese markets to U.S. beef by the end of June. "The continued prohibition on U.S. beef and beef products is fundamentally inconsistent with the globally recognized food safety guidelines set by the OIE. This letter is the latest in a series of efforts Roberts has led to reopen markets to U.S. beef after the discovery of BSE in a single ...
NCBA president touches on trade, animal ID in ICA visit On the global trade front, John said while the situation with Japan's continued stall on resuming beef trade with the U.S., other regions are offering greater promise. John called the ongoing Japanese trade balk an "absolute frustration" and said despite a string of Japanese promises but no action to open the border to date, NCBA is in favor of retaliatory action unless trade resumes soon. Why, then, continue to work to re-open the Japanese market when equal efforts could be taken to enter ...
Japan to lift ban on U.S. beef imports, pending plant inspectio TOKYO (AP)--Japan has agreed to lift its ban on U.S. beef imports, pending planned inspections of American meat processing plants, the two governments said June 21 in a joint statement. The ban, first imposed in 2003 over concerns that U.S. beef might be infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy, was lifted at the end of last year for just a month before Japan again halted U.S. beef shipments in January. "Japan agreed to resume U.S. beef imports on the condition that we find no further ...
Japan Ag Min- Sanctions nonsense TOKYO (AP)--Japan's agriculture minister called a U.S. proposal to impose sanctions on Tokyo if it doesn't resume imports of American beef soon "nonsense" on June 23, as the first teams of Japanese inspectors prepared to depart for American meat plants. Japan agreed June 21 to lift its ban, but only after thorough inspections of U.S. meat processing facilities to ensure they measure up to Japanese food-safety guidelines amid fears of bovine spongiform encephalopathy. At stake is a trading ...
Cattle producers appeal judge's decision R-CALF USA on June 5 filed a notice of appeal in U.S. District Court--District of Montana of an April decision by District Judge Richard F. Cebull that denied the organization's request for a permanent injunction against the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Final Rule. "The (U.S.) 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in July 2005 that USDA should be given deference in this matter, but there's never been an evaluation of all of the evidence, by either the 9th Circuit or the District Court. ...
USDA announces new BSE surveillance program "This ongoing surveillance program will maintain our ability to detect BSE, provide assurance that our interlocking safeguards are successfully preventing BSE, while continuing to exceed science-based international guidelines." The ongoing BSE surveillance program will sample approximately 40,000 animals each year. This included data from an enhanced surveillance program, which began in June 2004, as a one-time effort to determine the prevalence of BSE in the United States.
Despite the lure of Japan trade, many U.S. beef plants opt out So when Japan agreed to lift the ban--contingent on Japanese checks of U.S. beef plants--many assumed that the inspectors would be welcomed everywhere with open arms. Japanese inspectors began visiting U.S. beef processing plants on June 24 after an agreement was brokered to restore the once-lucrative beef trade with Japan that used to account for about $1.4 billion a year and 10 percent of U.S. beef sales. The Japanese inspectors will visit seven beef processing plants in Nebraska starting ...
Scientist working on CWD test for live animals BROOKINGS, S.D. (AP)--A South Dakota State University scientist is doing research that could lead to a live animal test for chronic wasting disease. Scrapie diagnostics aren't a high priority, but Young is adapting his scientific method to CWD, which, unlike most prion diseases, spreads reasonably well. Although Young's research is currently focused on CWD, he hopes the technology will translate to other prior diseases such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy.
Japan inspection team at Swift plant Representatives of Japan's health and agricultural ministries were expected to spend the day at the plant about 50 miles north of Denver, Swift spokesman Sean McHugh said. Japan agreed last month to lift its ban, first imposed in 2003 because of fears over bovine spongiform encephalopathy, after inspecting 35 U.S. meatpacking facilities to ensure they comply with Japanese food-safety guidelines. Swift has said the teams also will inspect its three other beef-processing plants, in Hyrum, Utah...
Reporter breaks his own rules to take part in cattle drive This rule doesn't apply to eating, however, which is how I found myself walking for the duration of Albany County rancher Gil Engen's Memorial Day weekend cattle drive. Gil and his wife Ialene and their kids have been driving cattle from the Flying Heart Ranch near Harmony, up past Woods Landing and just over the Colorado border for a long time. The cattle have been at it for years, and the young ones learn from the experienced ones, Gil and Ialene's daughter, Desiree Engen, told me.
Canada sets tougher rules on animal feed to fight mad cow disea The Canadian Food Inspection Agency revealed measures, to be phased in over the next year, aimed at keeping potentially risky cattle parts from all animal feed, not just feed destined for cows. BSE is believed to spread through feed, when cows eat the contaminated tissue of other cattle. There has been pressure for some time to widen the Canadian ban to include feed for other commercial animals, pet food and fertilizers.
Canada sets important example for science-based BSE rules The Canadian government has implemented changes to bovine spongiform encephalopathy-related import restrictions on U.S. cattle. When BSE was discovered in the U.S. in December 2003, a prohibition order was placed on imports of cattle and beef products from the U.S. This was amended to allow for imports of beef from cattle under thirty months, cattle direct to slaughter, and feeder cattle under thirty months.
Canada confirms sixth BSE case Two of the six confirmed BSE cases in Canada have involved animals that were infected after 1997, when a ban was instituted on the use of cattle parts in feed destined for cattle, or other ruminants such as sheep and goats. The agency says Canada's food supply is safe, and the level of BSE in the national cattle herd is very low. Last month, Canada announced it has broadened restrictions on animal feed in an effort to fight BSE.

June 2006
Nebraska packing plants OK'd for Japan "These are the plants that would begin shipping beef to Japan," said U.S. Department of Agriculture spokesman Ed Lloyd. The eight Nebraska plants are the Cargill Meat Solutions plant in Schuyler; Greater Omaha Packing Co., Omaha; Nebraska Beef Ltd., Omaha; Premium Protein Products LLC, Hastings; and Tyson Fresh Meats plants in Dakota City, Lexington, Norfolk and West Point. The 37 plants were among those approved for Japan exports in December, when Japan first lowered barriers to U.S. beef.
Missouri promotes beef for Asia "That's a lot of food," said Hiroaki Shino, who markets Missouri beef in Japan for the state of Missouri. Ferrell traveled in January to Taiwan and Japan to promote Missouri beef, and discuss its quality and safety. "The Japanese consumers can trust the beef when the government says it's OK," said Kazuhiro Hasebe, who works with a Japanese beef trading company.
Japan- Public meetings on beef imports At the meetings, to be held at 10 locations across Japan from June 1, ministry officials will explain progress made in talks between the two countries on beef imports, the ministry said in a statement. In mid-May, Japanese and U.S. officials wrapped up negotiations, but didn't set a timetable for the resumption of the beef trade. The U.S. has pushed to resume exports by the end of June, but Japanese officials said public meetings must be held first, and have also asked for more information on...
Japan- Final U.S. beef hearing TOKYO (AP)--Japan was scheduled to hold the last of its public hearings on U.S. beef safety June 14, before making a formal decision on whether to reopen the once-lucrative Japanese market to American beef. Japan's agriculture and health ministries have been holding hearings in major cities across the country since June 1 to explain progress made in talks between the two countries on beef imports, said Agriculture Ministry official Atsushi Furukawa. Tokyo first closed its door to U.S. beef ...
U.S. BSE cases appear to be rare, mysterious strain WASHINGTON (AP)--Two cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in Texas and Alabama seem to have resulted from a mysterious strain that could appear spontaneously in cattle, researchers say. The Texas and Alabama cows were older animals, as were some of the other animals in Europe with seemingly atypical cases. BSE has turned up three times in the United States: in native-born animals in Texas and Alabama and in a Canadian import in Washington state.
S. Korea- Still problems with U.S. beef SEOUL (AP)--South Korea is not likely to resume U.S. beef imports before July, officials said June 7, citing problems with some U.S. slaughterhouses designated to process meat bound for South Korea. South Korea agreed in January to allow American beef into the country on a limited basis, ending a two-year ban prompted by bovine spongiform encephalopathy fears. South Korea was the third-largest foreign market for American beef, after Japan and Mexico, when it shut its doors to the U.S. meat ...
Cholick lauds congressional support for agriculture --Food Safety and Inspection Services funded at $853 million ($24 million above last year). --Commodity Supplemental Food Program funded at $118.3 million ($11 million above last year). --Food Stamp Program funded at $37.9 billion ($2.8 billion below last year).
Japan confirms 26th BSE case TOKYO (AP)--Japan confirmed its 26th case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in a 5-year and 8-month-old Holstein, the agriculture ministry said May 13, according to Japan's Kyodo news agency. Meat inspectors in Hokkaido prefecture (state) in northern Japan found May 11 that a dairy cow tested positive for the disease, the ministry said in a statement. A panel of Agricultural Ministry experts confirmed the infection May 13, according to ministry offici