TheBeefSite Newsletter - 5 October 2011

TheBeefSite Weekly Newsletter

Wednesday 5th October 2011

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Welcome to this week's newsletter

Editorial: Spain Condemned For Poor Welfare At Slaughter

The European Commission has called on Spain to take action to address deficiencies in the implementation of EU legislation on the welfare of animals at the time of slaughter.

Several audits have highlighted Spain's failure at minimising the pain and suffering of animals at slaughter through the proper use of stunning and killing methods.

The Commission is giving Spain two months to comply with its obligations. If Spain fails to fulfil its legal obligations, the Commission may refer the case to the EU Court of Justice - who could impose huge fines.

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) in Kenya are joining forces to develop a vaccine that will protect cattle against East Coast fever.

The research is focusing on the tick that transmits the parasite responsible for East Coast fever. Because the tick and parasite are similar to the tick and parasite that cause Texas cattle fever in the US, developing a vaccine for East Coast fever could lead to a vaccine for Texas cattle fever.

The Argentine National Health and Food Quality Service (SENASA) has announced it has been running different preventive measures in the country in the face of the foot and mouth disease (FMD) outbreak in the Republic of Paraguay.

FMD vaccination is underway in Salta, Chaco, Formosa, Corrientes, Misiones and Entre Rios.

Charlotte Johnston

This Week's Feature Articles

We have 5 new features this week:

France Reflects on Cost of Cheap Food at Any Price
'The real victims of the latest [agricultural] crises are those who have invested the most,' French farm minister Bruno Le Maire told delegates at a day-long conference in Paris to discuss the way agricultural commodity prices develop into retail prices for finished product, writes Peter Crosskey.

Unlocking The Secrets To Improved Northern Herd Fertility
The Northern Female Lifetime Reproduction Beef CRC research project, which is unprecedented in its scope and unlikely to ever be repeated, is uncovering the keys to fertility and profitability in Australia's northern rangelands.

QMS Cattle Market Report - September 2011
During August, prime cattle producer prices continued the upwards trend that they have been exhibiting since the beginning of February, writes Iain Macdonald from Quality Meat Scotland.

Republic of Korea - Livestock and Products Annual - 2011
Unlike the swine sector, Korea's cattle industry was largely spared from the widespread culling due to the foot and mouth disease (FMD) outbreaks that wreaked havoc on the nation's livestock industry from last November through March of this year. Nearly 151,000 cattle or 4.5 per cent of the country's cattle inventory was depopulated, according to the USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service.

India - Livestock and Products Annual 2011
Strong dairy demand continues to fuel herd growth and is expected to continue in 2012. CY2012 combined stocks forecast more than four per cent growth over 2011 at 325 million head, according to the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service.