Page 703 of articles about news

Spain has officially informed the Commission that the Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA), Valdeolmos, Madrid, complies with the requirements laid down in Article 65 of Directive 2003/85/EC. Spain requested that the CISA be added to the list of national laboratories, authorised to handle the live foot-and- mouth disease virus, set out in Part A of Annex XI to that Directive.

The latest data from the Single Market Management Committee of the European Commission shows a 28,5% increase in the exportation of pork between the months of January and April of 2011, reaching 974.302 tons.

Since no new outbreaks have been reported since 7 April 2011 and surveillance has been implemented with satisfactory results, the Commission adopted today a decision reducing the affected areas.

In the first quarter of 2011 exports of fresh and frozen pork totalled 34,000 tonnes, up seven per cent year on year. This was helped by a narrowing of the price difference between UK prices and those on the continent.

The Internal Trade Department expects pork prices to drop soon after it suspends swine exports across the borders to neighbouring countries next week.

A foot-and-mouth epidemic has broken out in 39 provinces, affecting more than 150,000 head of cattle. More than 45,000 animals have died or been destroyed, including over 5,000 buffalos, 938 cows, 37,760 pigs and 329 goats.

In this report the results of the investigation regarding the different options for replacing the current EU rules for co-financing of emergency measures are described. Five different policy options are evaluated and the economic impact, likelihood, timescale, magnitude of direct and consequential/indirect costs and monetization of impacts are assessed. Special emphasis is given on the feasibility of an EU harmonized framework for a Cost and Responsibility Sharing Schemes (CRSS).

Animal Welfare Approved (AWA) has announced a call for proposals for its 2011-2012 Good Husbandry Grants. The Good Husbandry Grants program has funded nearly 100 projects across the country to improve farm animal welfare.

A new Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) survey has shown no human health implications from antimicrobial resistance in New Zealand food-producing animals and fresh produce.

FAO member nations today elected José Graziano da Silva of Brazil as its new Director-General.

An Eurostat overview shows that there were just over 48 million people employed within the EU27’s food chain in 2008, equivalent to more than a fifth of total employment.

Agriculture ministers from the G20 group of nations have agreed a series of measures they hope will reduce food price volatility and boost supplies. In a communique following a two day meeting in Paris ministers said they would adopt a new collective rapid response system to help calm any spikes in prices.

The veterinary services of the Sassari province in Italy confirmed last week the presence of African Swine Fever on a swine farm located in the Bono area.

The European Commission adopted today a regulation that harmonises the implementation of the zero tolerance policy on non-authorised genetically modified (GM) material in feed.