TheMeatSite Newsletter - 26 October 2011

TheMeatSite Weekly Newsletter

Wednesday 26th October 2011

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Welcome to this week's newsletter

Editorial: US FTAs Eventually Signed but Canada Sees Warning Signs

President Obama has signed into law the long-awaited free trade agreements with South Korea, Panama and Colombia, as well as the latest trade adjustment assistance for workers.

The move has brought a long sigh of relief from most sections of the US meat industry.

US poultry and egg producers, processors and exporters said they were united in their strong support for the decisive passage and subsequent signing of legislation to implement free trade agreements (FTAs) with Korea, Colombia and Panama. The industries have supported and urged approval of these agreements since negotiations were concluded more than four years ago.

With KORUS FTA approval, US poultry meat exports to Korea could rise to more than $150 million or 125,000 tons annually, with annual egg exports tripling to $12 million. Over the first 10 years of the agreement, this is expected to generate $720 million in exports.

Now, the Canadian Pork Council, Canada Pork International, Canadian Cattlemen's Association and the Canadian Meat Council have joined forces to urge the Government of Canada to resume FTA talks with South Korea that have been stalled since 2008.

The Canadian pork and beef industries said they are very concerned that postponing the FTA talks any further will seriously affect the competitiveness of their and other Canadian sectors exporting to South Korea now that the US Congress ratified a FTA with South Korea.

In Europe, the European Commission is to put forward new proposals to improve the protection of consumers and industry against a possible dioxin contamination.

The scheme has been endorsed the EU Member States at the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health (SCoFCAH).

In particular, four measures will be implemented throughout the EU by the middle of next year.

They aim to further reduce the risk of contamination in the food chain and the measures will avoid food recalls from the market and significant financial costs to the consumers and industries.

In Brazil, beef processing giant JBS SA has hit back at allegations that it has broken an accord over buying cattle from sustainable sources.

In a statement to shareholders, the company said it has "not violated any agreement or commitment to all public bodies and civil rights in Brazil".

Chris Harris

This Week's Feature Articles

We have 7 new features this week:

Demand Holding up in a Volatile Market
Against a back cloth of a volatile market, meat demand appears to be holding up although cheaper meat cuts have retained their popularity, writes TheMeatSite Editor in Chief, Chris Harris.

Biomarkers Predict Optimal Resting Time for Pigs before Slaughter
Proteomics biomarkers can be used to predict the optimal resting time for slaughter pigs in the abattoir to alleviate the unfavourable effect of stress on the quality of pork, according to a study carried out at Wageningen University in the Netherlands.

Good Genes Yield High-quality Meat Products
Gene technology can help farmers to selectively breed production animals for increasingly high-quality meat, eggs and dairy products. "This can be accomplished without compromising animal welfare," says a Norwegian animal geneticist.

GLOBAL POULTRY TRENDS - Asia: The Major Chicken Meat Importer
More than one-third of the chicken meat traded globally is imported into Asian countries, according to seasoned industry watcher, Terry Evans. Only two countries in the region – Thailand and China – export significant amounts of broiler meat.

Argentina – Livestock and Products Annual 2011
Argentine cattle and beef production is expected to continue its slow recovery in 2012 after the sharp herd reduction in 2008-09.

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 4 percent growth over 2011 at 325 million heads.

US Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry Outlook – October 2011
The drought in the US is keeping cattle weights down and for the pig meat sector production is expected to be up on 2010, according to Rachel J. Johnson of the USDA ERS in the latest Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry Outlook.