News Update

News Update
June 27, 2006

Japan Begins Inspections

Ten agriculture and health officials from Japan have arrived in the U.S. to begin inspections at meatpacking plants in 16 states, according to meatingplace.com.

The inspections are part of conditions reached in a U.S.-Japan trade agreement announced last week. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns has said Japanese audit teams are expected to conclude their work by July 21.

In a statement released June 21, Johanns expressed guarded enthusiasm for the agreement.

“I cannot emphasize strongly enough the importance of Japan recognizing the U.S. food safety inspection system as a single, effective system and acting accordingly in resuming trade,” Johanns said. “When that occurs, my expectation is that minor noncompliance issues will not disrupt our entire trading relationship.”

Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso responded in a public radio broadcast, saying Japan wouldn’t discontinue U.S. beef imports if a single shipment was found to contain banned materials, meatingplace.com reported.

USDA Designates Vermont A Natural Disaster Area

Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns yesterday announced the designation of the entire state of Vermont as a primary natural disaster area, making all qualified farm operators in the designated areas eligible for low-interest emergency (EM) loans from U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Farm Service Agency (FSA).

All 14 counties in Vermont were declared a primary natural disaster area due to severe weather conditions, including excessive rainfall and flooding that began May 1 and continues today. Several contiguous counties in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and New York were also named natural disaster areas.

Farmers in eligible counties have eight months from the date of the declaration to apply for the loans to help cover part of their actual losses. Interested farmers may contact their local USDA Service Centers for further information on eligibility requirements and application procedures for these and other programs. Additional information is available at http://disaster.fsa.usda.gov.

— compiled by Crystal Albers, associate editor, Angus Productions Inc.