TheBeefSite Newsletter - 24 November 2010

TheBeefSite Weekly Newsletter

Wednesday 24th November 2010

Our Sponsors Helping keep you updated for free!

ON-LINE SHOP News Company News Events Articles Diseases Treatments Employment Cattle Breeds SEARCH

Welcome to this week's newsletter

Editorial: The Importance Of International Trade

This week the European Union has allowed duty-free imports of up to 20,000 tonnes of Canadian beef per year in a trade concession valued at over C$10 million annually.

On top of this, a Memorandum of Understanding has been signed by the Government of Canada and the European Commission, which will ultimately add 3,200 tonnes to the current 20,000-tonne quota and provides compensation for the EU's ban on beef from animals administered growth hormones.

The English beef levy board (EBLEX) recently exhibited the full range of UK beef products at Meatmania in Bulgaria.

The major interest for the UK meat sector is as an outlet for a great variety of offal, for which there is little demand in Britain, said Jean-Pierre Garnier, head of exports for EBLEX.

EBLEX has also proposed a an increase in its levy rates, which it says will increase beef exports from 10 per cent to 20 per cent of production by 2012.

Argentina, once one of the world's largest beef exporters, has seen exports fall by 52 per cent to 117,000 tonnes pw, for the first seven months of the year.

Brazil, on the other hand, has seen export demand for beef grow by six per cent for the first nine months of 2010. Whilst most of this export demand has come from the Middle East, shipments to the EU have also grown, reflecting the increasing number of farms now approved to EU standards.

Finally, the Philippines has lifted a 10-year ban on beef and beef product imports from Spain. However, even once the ban is lifted, countries still have to undergo a country by country procedure for accreditation of Foreign Meat Establishments, which is considered lengthy and non-transparent.

The Philippines continues to ban imports of beef and beef products from Portugal.

Charlotte Johnston

This Week's Feature Articles

We have 4 new features this week:

Brazil's Beef Sector Becoming More Sustainable
Brazil is more and more developing a sustainable livestock and agriculture production systems and moving away from the image of deforestation, writes TheCattleSite senior editor Chris Harris.

Developments In The US Beef Sector
Speaking at the English Beef and Lamb Executive annual conference in October, Nebraska beef industry professor, Dr Chris Calkins from the US, gave an update of developments in the US beef sector. Charlotte Johnston, TheCattleSite junior editor reports.

Cattle Dehorning And Alternatives In The EU
This study, on the improved methods for animal-friendly production, in particular on alternatives to the dehorning of cattle was written by the Directorate General for Health and Consumers, Animal Health and Welfare Directorate.

Feed Outlook - November 2010
Lower yields have reduced the US corn crop but it is still predicted to be the third largest ever, according to Allen Baker, Edward Allen, Heather Lutman and Yonas Hamda in the latest report from the USDA Economic Research Service.

Genus - Value through science and genomics

Company News

EUROTIER - Show Moved Modern Agriculture Forward
GERMANY - The number of visitors reached a record of more than 140,000 livestock farmers and specialists from all over the world. Of these, 23,500 were international visitors, and BioEnergy Decentral was a resounding success, say the organisers.

Global Beef Cattle Industry News