TheDairySite Newsletter - 29 May 2009

Friday 29th May 2009

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Welcome to this week's newsletter

Editorial: Subsidies and Protectionism in the US

This week the US followed a move made earlier by the EU to reintroduce export refunds for a number of agricultural products. Both the US and the EU have argued that they will not exceed their World Trade Organisation commitment levels on export subsidies, but Cairns Group, a coalition of 19 agricultural exporting countries, said that this is not the point.

The group expressed their disappointment and called the move a "backwards step." Subsidy wars only drive prices even lower, thereby delaying economic recovery further, said the group.

They are not alone in this opinion. Australia's National Farmers' Federation said it was a a move to protectionism. "While it may shore-up a few domestic jobs in the short-term, it only reinforces the inherent distortions that plague international trade."

Also this week, 2000 farmers along with their cows from all over Europe gathered outside the EU Council building to protest devastating milk prices across the EU.

Adam Anson

This Week's Feature Articles

We have 3 new features this week:

Animal Antibiotics, Resistance and Human Health
Antibiotics are a vital component to rearing healthy livestock, but many researchers argue that mismanaged use is having a detrimental effect on the industry, writes Adam Anson for TheCattleSite.

Canadian Dairy Statistics First Quarter 2009
For the 12 month period ending March 31, 2009 Canadian milk requirements stood at 490,045 million litres, reports Statistics Canada in their first quarter dairy analysis.

USDA Livestock and Dairy Products Reports 2009
This article provides the dairy and cattle industry data from the USDA FAS Livestock and Dairy Products 2009 reports. This week's new reports are the Australian and Mexican Dairy and Products Semi Annuals.