Johanns seeks to resolve Japanese beef ban
US - Speaking to nearly 5,000 cattle producers at last week's Cattle Industry Convention and Trade Show in Denver, Colo., U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns called the latest Japanese ban on U.S. beef a "temporary setback." He...

U.S. bids to allay Japan beef row
US - American agriculture officials will discuss Japan's latest ban on American beef during a visit next week, a U.S. Embassy official has said, after a U.S. beef shipment sparked mad cow fears and prompted Tokyo to again halt imports. The delegation,...

Critics: Mad cow disease still risk
US - The nation's No. 1 burger seller, McDonald's Corp., has joined other researchers to say the government is still not fully protecting animals or people from mad cow disease. Stronger steps are needed to keep the infection from entering the...

USDA Chief Seeks Advice On BSE Testing Changes
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Agriculture has achieved all of the goals it set out to accomplish with its special "enhanced" mad-cow surveillance efforts, but testing will continue at an elevated rate while foreign beef trading...

Ban over, US beef returns to Japan
ARIZONA - Released from a two-year ban based on fear of "mad cow" disease, American beef headed back to Japanese grills on Monday. The imported meat was to appear at a popular barbecue chain and a private banquet put on by U.S. producers....

Nebraska Beef Heads to Japan
NEBRASKA - As one of the nation's top beef-producing states, Nebraska paid a dear price when Japan banned American beef imports in 2003 amid fears of mad cow disease (news) . But now that Japan relaxed the ban earlier this week, Nebraska beef...

Japan eases ban on US, Canadian beef imports
JAPAN - Japan on Monday eased a two-year-old ban on American beef imposed because of mad cow disease, averting a trade war with Washington where lawmakers had threatened retaliation unless beef trade resumed by mid-December. In line with a recommendation...

Japan Officials Arrive In U.S. Tue To Verify BSE Safety
WASHINGTON - A delegation of Japanese specialists is expected to arrive in the U.S. on Tuesday to verify that U.S. packing plants are employing the proper procedures to protect the U.S. beef supply from mad-cow disease, U.S. Department of Agriculture...

BSE’s Not The Only Trade Barrier Hurting U.S. Cattlemen
US - During this holiday season, many of us will have the opportunity to treat family and friends to a terrific steak or prime rib dinner. What could be better than sitting down at your favorite steakhouse, for a delicious beef meal with all...

USDA: Completes BSE Tests On Healthy-Looking Cattle
US - The U.S. Department of Agriculture has completed mad-cow disease testing program on cattle that appeared completely healthy and found no positive cases, a USDA official said Monday. USDA's goal was to test 20,000 healthy-looking cattle,...

National Beef Packing Co: Annual Profits Down 53% On BSE
KANSAS CITY - National Beef Packing Co. LLC, the nation's fourth-largest beef processor, on Wednesday said annual profits dropped 53% this year, blaming continued fallout from the mad cow scare. For the fiscal year ending Aug. 27, the Kansas...

US makes move to fully open border in 2006 to pre-BSE standards
US - While no target date has been set, the U.S. Department of Agriculture plans on lifting the remaining restrictions on Canadian cattle over-30-months within a year, restoring trade to the way it was pre-BSE. USDA administrator Ron Dehaven...

USDA to prolong expanded BSE testing program
US - The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) plans to keep its expanded testing program for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) going indefinitely instead of scaling it back at the end of this year, according to recent reports. Source:...

Report faults testing of feed to prevent mad cow disease
US - The government started testing livestock feed two years ago to ensure that mills were following rules to prevent the spread of mad cow disease, but officials failed to properly follow up on suspect samples, congressional investigators say....

Report finds flaws in mad cow disease-related testing
US - Government investigators say testing is too slow at times to prevent cattle from eating feed that might be contaminated, just one flaw they cited in a program to help stop mad cow disease from spreading. Feed safeguards are the most important...

US meat processor expects Japan business
US - Following the Japan Food Commission approval of a report on bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) disease Wednesday, U.S. cattle leaders are staying cautiously optimistic about trade resumption. Meanwhile, at least one meatpacker will...

Cattlemen’s Capitol Concerns: Sanctions On Japan, BSE Surveillance
US - Senate Bill Calls for Sanctions on Japan: Senators Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) and Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) introduced bipartisan legislation October 26 calling for tariffs on Japanese products if Japan fails to reopen its market to U.S. beef. The...

Korea May Soon Be Importing U.S. Beef Again
US - Korea will decide between the end of this month and early November on whether to resume U.S. beef imports now that Seoul has received its requested information, a government official said, according the Korea Herald newspaper. "The...

USDA's Johanns And USTR Portman Welcome Lifting Of Beef Ban By Thailand
US - U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns and U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman welcomed Thailand's decision to lift its ban on most imports of U.S. beef. "I commend Thailand officials for reopening their market to U.S. beef and...

Mad cow type diseases may spread in urine-study
WASHINGTON - The agent that causes mad cow disease, scrapie and chronic wasting disease in deer and elk may sometimes be spread through urine, Swiss researchers reported on Thursday. Source: Reuters