Agriculture worldwide

17 December 1999



Agriculture worldwide

• 
  Whos qualified to join the EU?
  
  A new survey judges which of the 13 countries hoping to join the EU are actually economically qualified, and comes up with some surprising results.

• 
  Canada, EU make no progress in subsidy row
  
  Canada and the European Union failed to make headway in their dispute over agricultural subsidies during a summit yesterday

• 
  Laser test boost to Australian wool industry
  
  Portable laser wool testing equipment about to be introduced to shearing sheds in Australia could revolutionise the wool industry, a leading industry figure has claimed.

• 
  Two new cases of BSE in France
  
  Two new cases of BSE have been detected in northwestern France, bringing to 28 the number of cases that have come to light so far this year.

• 
  Hungary plans huge restructuring of agriculture
  
  Fish farming, processing and bio-diesel production will replace many current sectors of Hungarian agriculture in the coming years, a minister has announced.

• 
  Irish seek financial aid for food hygiene
  
  Jobs in the small abattoir and family butchers sector are at risk because of the cost of meeting increasing hygiene demands, the Irish parliament hears.

• 
  Poland adopts EU position paper on agriculture
  
  Poland has ended the first stage of its membership negotiations with the EU, with the Polish government endorsing the difficult agriculture position paper.

• 
  Namibia targets EU with grape exports
  
  Namibia has called on the European Union to increase the countrys grape quota to the European market from 900 tonnes a year to 5000 tonnes.

• 
  Czechs decide not to import British beef
  
  Following talks between an agriculture minister and state vets, the Czech Republic has decided not to import British beef for the time being.

• 
  Serious disease hits Kenyan maize
  
  Kenyan plant health inspectors have issued an alert after an outbreak of grey leaf spot affecting the seed crop in major maize growing regions.

• 
  Cambodia halts pork imports amid “mad pig” scare
  
  The Cambodian government has ordered all imports of pork be halted amid fears that contaminated meat could be reaching local markets currently awash with rumours of a mysterious “mad pig” threat.

• 
  Irish seek joint action to curb NZ lamb imports
  
  Sheep farmers in the west of Ireland are demanding urgent action on ewe premiums and New Zealand imports.
  

• 
  Argentina wants to expand dairy exports
  
  Argentinas largest dairy company would like foreign doors to open even wider to its products.