Ag in the News

11/19/2007

National and International

Tyson in JV with Brazil's Pena Branca: report
Tyson Foods Inc. is in the final due diligence stages for a possible joint venture with Brazil's Pena Branca, according to Dow Jones. MORE!

Philippines allows full market access for U.S. beef
The Philippines has agreed to allow U.S. beef and beef product imports from cattle of all ages, Acting Agriculture Secretary Chuck Conner announced Friday. MORE!

U.S. beef airs complaints with ITC
U.S. beef exporters on Thursday aired their grievances to the International Trade Commission, which is investigating the financial fallout from South Korea's trade barriers on U.S. beef. MORE!

Bush serves Japanese prime minister beef, but Fukuda hedges on imports
The White House served beef at a lunch for visiting Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda in Washington on Friday as a way to further U.S. efforts to nudge Japan toward fully opening its markets to U.S. beef products. MORE!

Wrap Up

FARM BILL: AS LAWMAKERS LEAVE WASHINGTON FOR THEIR TWO-WEEK THANKSGIVING BREAK, THE FARM BILL IS NOWHERE CLOSE TO A VOTE IN THE SENATE. THAT, AFTER SENATORS REJECTED A CLOTURE VOTE - A PROCEDURAL MOVE THAT WOULD HAVE LIMITED DEBATE, AND BROUGHT ABOUT A QUICK VOTE ON THE FARM BILL. PRO FARMER'S WASHINGTON EDITOR ROGER BERNARD IS KEEPING TABS ON THE LEGISLATION THAT'S BEEN SIMMERING IN THE SENATE FOR TWO WEEKS.

POT PIES: ONE MONTH AFTER CONAGRA ISSUED A NATIONWIDE RECALL OF ITS POT-PIES, THE COMPANY HAS RESUMED PRODUCTION. ON OCTOBER 11TH, THE COMPANY VOLUTARILY RECALLED BANQUET AND STORE-LABEL POT PIES OVER CONCERNS OF SALMONELLA. CON-AGRA SAYS IT'S READY TO RESTART THE LINE, AND SHIPMENTS OF POT PIES SHOULD RESUME IN DECEMBER... SHOWING-UP ON STORE SHELVES IN JANUARY. COMPANY OFFICIALS SAY THE ASSEMBLY LINE AT THEIR MARSHALL, MISSOURI PLANT WAS SHUT-DOWN AS INVESTIGATORS LOOKED FOR THE SOURCE OF SALMONELLA, BUT NOTHING WAS FOUND. THE USDA SAYS THEIR TESTING LINKED THE TURKEY POT PIES TO TWO-HUNDRED SEVENTY-TWO CASES OF SALMONELLA POISONING IN THIRTY-FIVE STATES.

LISTERIA SAUSAGE: MEANWHILE, A TEXAS FIRM IS RECALLING SOME SAUSAGE PRODUCTS BECAUSE OF SUSPECTED LISTERIA CONTAMINATION. DOUBLE-B FOODS OF MERIDIAN, TEXAS IS RECALLING NINETY-EIGHT THOUSAND POUNDS OF FROZEN SAUSAGE ROLLS THAT WERE DISTRIBUTED THRU STORES AND CATALOGUE SALES. THERE'S A LONG LIST OF PRODUCT NAMES, WHICH INCLUDE THE NAME "DOUBLE-B-FOODS" AND "H-E-B". YOU SHOULD LOOK FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT NUMBER OF P-SEVENTY-ONE-EIGHTY-FOUR - M. BE SURE TO CHECK-OUT THE FULL LIST AT "ASK-KAREN-DOT-GOV"