TOPEKA, Kan. (AP)—Gov. Mark Parkinson said recently he has been assured Taiwan will soon ease restrictions on imports of U.S. beef.
Parkinson met last week with Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou during a trade mission to the island nation. Parkinson said Ma indicated Taiwan would soon start accepting shipments of U.S. beef, although no timetable was given.
Taiwan had limited imports to boneless beef products from cattle 30 months old and younger because of concerns about mad cow disease, but it announced Friday it would allow a range of U.S. ``beef in bone'' products to be imported if they carried a label of approval from the U.S. Agriculture Department.
Mad cow is a brain-wasting disease in cattle, which in humans can cause a variant form, Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease.
Parkinson, speaking to reporters about his recent trade mission, said there was considerable effort at all levels of U.S. government to reopen beef markets in Taiwan, as well as other nations in Southeast Asia.
``President Ma indicated that the input we provided was helpful, that he's headed toward a policy that will lift the ban,'' the governor said. ``That would be a terrific benefit to the livestock industry, not just in Kansas, but across the United States.''
Taiwan purchased $128 million in beef products from the United States in 2008, said Scarlett Hagins, spokeswoman for the Kansas Livestock Association.
``If we could grow that market, it would be great,'' Hagins said.
Taiwan recently agreed to buy $425 million worth of wheat from the United States, most of which will come from Kansas.
``On every level, it was a success,'' Parkinson said of the trade mission. ``We thought that it was important to go to Taiwan to thank the officials for entering into that agreement for us, to affirm that we would fulfill our obligations and, hopefully, lay the foundation for discussions about future sales.''
Taiwan was the 16th largest market for Kansas products in 2008. It is the seventh largest export market for U.S. agricultural products and the second largest per person.
Parkinson said he also visited the Garmin Ltd. plant in Taipei. The maker of GPS navigation devices has its corporate headquarters in the Kansas City suburb of Olathe, but Garmin CEO Min Kao is from Taiwan.
Parkinson plans to return to Southeast Asia next month to speak in China's Henan province at an energy meeting. Kansas is seeking investment from Asian countries to develop renewable energy, including additional manufacturing of wind energy components, he said.
The governor spoke at a two-day green energy summit while in Taiwan.
Ag News from Around the Country
Taiwan restrictions on U.S. beef to ease
- Ag News from Around the Country
-
-
DeGeer earns foundation scholarship
The Alabama Beef Cattle Improvement Foundation (BCIF) recently awarded a graduate fellowship to an outstanding young person at the Alabama Beef Cattle Improvement Association Annual Meeting and Awards Program. The 2012 Alabama BCIF Graduate Fellowship was awarded to Staci L. DeGeer, a native of Erie, Kan.
-
Youth farm labor law withdrawn by DOL
American farmers and ranchers received welcome news this evening: the Department of Labor finally listened to them and withdrew its proposed youth farm labor rule.
-
USDA veterinarian comments on BSE
As part of our targeted surveillance system, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed the nation's fourth case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in a dairy cow from central California.
-
Beef futures markets bounce back after BSE reports
Rumors of an animal with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) started circulating throughout the markets before the U.S. Department of Agriculture made an official announcement of the discovery.
-
DocTalk to feature K-State veterinarian
A Kansas State University veterinarian is taking his expertise to a national television audience as host of his own weekly show.
-
Trade agreement gives Kan. wheat farmers opportunities
The long-awaited U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement will be implemented May 15, giving Kansas wheat farmers an opportunity to rebuild market share in one of the largest markets for U.S. wheat in South America, just in time for harvest of the 2012 wheat crop.
-
Wilson Co. holds Spring Beef Show
Forty-nine entries from 12 counties participated recently at the annual Wilson County Spring Beef Show.
-
Study shows potential for increase in U.S. food bills
Paying more for food may not be out of the question for consumers if regulations on the U.S. poultry and livestock sectors increase
-
Warm winters affect management
The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently revised its Plant Hardiness Zone Map northward. Extreme low temperatures during the winter in Kansas and most of the rest of the country aren’t quite as cold now as they were about 20 to 30 years ago.
-
Texas cattle inventory lowest since 1960
Historic drought conditions took a toll on the Texas cow herd in 2011 as more than 150,000 head left the state for greener pastures—three times more than the 45,000 recorded in 2010.
- More Ag News from Around the Country Headlines
-
