Interim final rule for mandatory COOL released
The USDA issued an interim final rule for mandatory Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) on Monday. The rule will be published in the Federal Register on Friday, Aug. 1, and public comments on the rule will be accepted for 60 days following publication. more
 

USDA increases limits for direct operating and farm ownership loans
Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer has put into place another new farm bill provision, increasing the limits on loans to $300,000 - up from $200,000 - for direct farm ownership and operating loans. Farm Service Agency (FSA) loan limits had remained unchanged since 1984. more
 

First shipment of U.S. bone-in beef arrives in S. Korea
A shipment of 1.47 tons of U.S. bone-in beef arrived in South Korea on Tuesday, the first time that South Korea resumes imports of such beef since December 2003. According to local media, the shipment of U.S. beef, which consists of choice cuts such as ribs, arrived by plane at Incheon International Airport on Tuesday. more
 

TDA Market Recap, 7-29-08
For the week ending July 26, feeder cattle price trends at Texas auctions were mixed, but mostly $2 to $4 per hundredweight higher compared with a week ago. However, some sales were as much as $5 lower. Fed cattle prices declined because of lower beef prices, which in turn pressured the feeder cattle market. more