TheBeefSite Newsletter - 23 November 2011

TheBeefSite Weekly Newsletter

Wednesday 23rd November 2011

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Welcome to this week's newsletter

Editorial: Negotiations Needed Between Canada & US For COOL

Implemented in 2008, mandatory US Country of Origin Labelling (COOL) requires American processors to label a range of food products, including beef and pork, according to their country of origin.

To comply with the mandatory labelling programme the US livestock industry must segregate Canadian animals, process Canadian livestock on a clean separate line and package and label the meat separately.

Some processors have simply refused to buy Canadian animals while others are only willing to buy on certain days or at a deeply discounted price. Between 2008 and 2009 exports to the US of Canadian feeder cattle declined a staggering 49 per cent.

In a ruling released last week, the World Trade Organization found the legislation gives less favourable treatment to imported livestock than domestic livestock and is inconsistent with US trade obligations.

The National Farmers' Union in the US has said that it will work to ensure that COOL is implemented to the fullest extent of the law, and says that COOL gives consumers the opportunity to make informed food purchases, as well as provide American food producers the opportunity to distinguish their products in the retail marketplace.

Canada is hoping that this ruling will open the door to a negotiated settlement of the dispute and increase live Canadian cattle exports.

Charlotte Johnston

This Week's Feature Articles

We have 5 new features this week:

Russian Federation - Livestock and Products Annual - 2011
Beef production continues to follow the path of the downsizing Russian dairy industry. Lower annual production provides more room for increased imports as Russia will seek to maintain unchanged supply, according to the latest GAIN Report from the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service.

Overgrazing And Wildfires Control
According to New Mexico State University rangeland expert Derek Bailey, overgrazing and 20th century fire-suppression strategies have laid the groundwork for some of today's 'catastrophic' wildfires.

Short Term Outlook for Arable Crop, Meat & Dairy Markets
EU agricultural markets are strongly affected by the macroeconomic outlook, according to the European Commission's Short Term Outlook for Arable Crop, Meat and Dairy Markets.

What Effect Will Eurozone Crisis Have On NI's Red Meat Industry?
With the future of the Eurozone hanging in the balance, the Northern Irish (NI) Livestock and Meat Commission discusses the future of the Northern Ireland red meat industry.

Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry Outlook - November 2011
Drought has increased the number of cattle to slaughter, whilst beef exports continue to grow. In the dairy industry, milk output increases, however greater supply of dairy products worldwide will put pressure on prices in the coming year, according to the latest Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry Outlook from the USDA's Economic Research Service.

Company News

Advancements In Herd Genetics
US - Additional genomic-enhanced EPDs (GE-EPDs) and genomic percent ranks for docility (DOC), yearling height (YH), scrotal circumference (SC), mature height (MH) and mature weight (MW) that incorporate the genomic results provided by the High Density 50K (HD 50K) platform from Pfizer Animal Genetics are new advancements in herd genetics.

Global Beef Cattle Industry News