Moscow | Reuters –– Russia may allow around 20 firms from Hungary, Cyprus and Greece to return to its market after it orders the lifting of an embargo on food imports from the European Union, Interfax news agency quoted a senior official as saying on Tuesday. Russia banned foods from the 28-nation EU last year […] Read more
Russia may allow food imports from three EU states
China lifts three-year embargo on Brazil beef imports
Brasilia | Reuters — China has ended an embargo on Brazilian beef imports, Brazil’s agriculture ministry said on Tuesday, lifting a three-year old ban and opening the door to half a billion dollars of new sales. Eight Brazilian beef processing plants and one poultry plant were approved to ship to China, the ministry said in […] Read more
U.S. lawmaker sees early June vote to repeal COOL
Washington | Reuters –– U.S. House of Representatives agriculture committee chairman Mike Conaway said on Tuesday he expects an early June vote on legislation to repeal U.S. meat labeling laws, to avoid costly retaliation from Canada and Mexico. Canada and Mexico began preparing retaliatory steps against U.S. goods on Monday, after a World Trade Organization […] Read more
U.S. loses WTO appeal in meat labeling dispute: source
Reuters — The United States has lost its appeal against a World Trade Organization ruling ordering it to bring its meat labeling laws into line with global trade rules, according to a government official familiar with the dispute. In 2011, Canada and Mexico won a WTO ruling that said the U.S. country-of-origin labeling (COOL) rules […] Read more
Colombia calls off aerial coca spraying
Bogota | Reuters –– Colombia will suspend aerial fumigation of illegal coca plants in light of a number of studies linking the herbicide involved to cancer, a move that marks the end of a decades-long strategy in the country’s fight against drug trafficking. Spraying coca leaves, which are used to make cocaine, has been a […] Read more
Minnesota bans bird exhibitions over avian flu
Minneapolis | Reuters –– Minnesota officials on Friday banned all bird exhibitions in the state this year, including at the Minnesota State Fair, in response to an outbreak of avian influenza that has affected farms around the Midwest. Exhibitions at fairs, swap meets, exotic sales and petting zoos must not include birds for the rest […] Read more
JBS CEO says Brazil close to exporting fresh beef to U.S.
Sao Paulo | Reuters — Brazil is “closer than it had ever been” to exporting fresh beef to the U.S., the CEO of Brazilian meat packer JBS SA said Thursday, adding he expects shipments to start later this year. The Brazilian agriculture ministry expects a formal announcement on meat exports to the U.S. when President […] Read more
U.S. sees El Nino as near-certain to last through summer
New York | Reuters — The El Nino climate phenomenon is almost certain to last through the Northern Hemisphere summer, the U.S. weather forecaster said, raising the chance of heavy rain in the southern U.S. as well as South America, and scorching heat in Asia that could devastate crops of thirsty food staples like rice. […] Read more
Dutch goat’s cheese gets protected EU status
Brussels | Reuters –– A type of Dutch goat’s cheese can now only be produced in the Netherlands after the European Union said on Tuesday it had registered it as protected, awarding it the same status as Greece’s feta and Italy’s parmesan. “Hollandse geitenkaas” is a semi-hard cheese prepared in a similar fashion to the […] Read more
U.S. seen approving Brazil fresh beef imports
Sao Paulo | Reuters –– Brazil’s agriculture ministry said on Friday the U.S. is likely to approve imports of Brazilian fresh beef this year, after President Dilma Rousseff visits Washington in June. Brazil, the world’s top beef exporter, is already a steady exporter of cooked beef that appears in items such as canned corned beef […] Read more
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