Page 303 of articles about markets-economics

After a brief decline during the initial outbreak of H1N1 influenza, U.S. pork exports to Mexico have rebounded quickly and impressively.

The Russian government will maintain the quotas for importation of meat products for the period from 2010 to 2012, according to a press release from the Presidential Press Service on October 15.

Belarus has banned pork imports from Russia over the recent swine fever outbreak, a spokeswoman for the country's food and agriculture ministry told RIA Novosti on Wednesday.

Canadian warehouses held 43,713 metric tons of pork, up from 38,055 tons a year earlier, Statistics Canada, a government agency, reported. Pork exports fell 4.7 percent in 2009 through August from a year earlier, according to agency figures.

The Commission has agreed a Communication that aims to improve the functioning of the food supply chain in Europe. The recent sharp decline in agricultural commodity prices alongside persistently high consumer food prices has raised concerns on the efficiency of this crucial sector of the European economy.

Specialist pig farms saw the largest percentage increase in farm business income in the 12 months to February 2009, but this was from a particularly low base.

Chinese officials have agreed to lift the ban on U.S. pork imports they imposed last spring out of fear of swine flu.

The European Commission agreed to allow Member States to pay farmers a one-off payment of up to €15,000 in state aid.

The federal and provincial governments announced that an additional $70 million has been added to the AgriStability program, allowing producers to get an advance on 75 per cent of the estimated public funding they would receive for the year.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy addressed the demands of farmers’ unions and agricultural employers in a speech on Tuesday, promising to protect the industry through one billion euros in government loans, 650 million euros in aid, and tax cuts.

The United States blocked on Friday requests by Canada and Mexico for World Trade Organization experts to examine new U.S. labeling rules that the two U.S. neighbors say are hurting their meat exports.

The European Commission has approved under the EU Merger Regulation the proposed acquisition of the US healthcare company Schering-Plough by the US global pharmaceutical company Merck.

The Rural Development Committee approved a first wave of proposals from Member States/regions for using fresh European Union funding for rural development. The Member States/regions in question have proposed amendments to their Rural Development Programmes (RDPs) to make use of extra funding provided by the Health Check of the Common Agricultural Policy and the European Economic Recovery Plan (EERP), agreed in November 2008.