Japan's agriculture minister yesterday called a US probe into the outbreak of mad cow disease incomplete and said his country would not reconsider a six-week ban on American beef until it receives new proposals from Wash-ington for tighter safeguards.
Japan is pressing the US to test all cattle for the disease before slaughter, a measure implemented by Japan's much smaller beef industry after a mad cow scare here two years ago.
The US says blanket testing is unnecessary and would be pro-hibitively expensive, but a series of US agriculture and trade officials sent to Tokyo to persuade Japan to lift an import ban have come away empty handed.
Agriculture Minister Yoshiyuki Kamei said yesterday that he had asked the most recent delegation to propose safeguards "based on" Japan's system, which Kamei credited with restoring consumer confidence in Japanese beef.
"We have explained our country's position," Kamei said in a television interview. "We are expecting some kind of proposal from the United States."
Before it suspended imports on Dec. 24, Japan was the most lucrative export market for US beef, buying almost US$1 billion worth in 2002.
Kamei criticized last month's decision by the US Agricultural Department to give up efforts to track all 80 cows that entered the US from a Canadian farm with a single Holstein that tested positive for the disease in Washington state in December. The probe closed after 28 cows were traced.
"It's unclear where the other 50 cows ended up, and that's not adequate," he said. "I don't think they made enough of an effort."
"There's no guarantee there won't be a second or third case, and Japanese consumers need to feel confident about eating American beef even if that happens," he said.
The combined effect of the monsoon, the outer rim of Typhoon Fengshen and a low-pressure system is expected to bring significant rainfall this week to various parts of the nation, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The heaviest rain is expected to occur today and tomorrow, with torrential rain expected in Keelung’s north coast, Yilan and the mountainous regions of Taipei and New Taipei City, the CWA said. Rivers could rise rapidly, and residents should stay away from riverbanks and avoid going to the mountains or engaging in water activities, it said. Scattered showers are expected today in central and
People can preregister to receive their NT$10,000 (US$325) cash distributed from the central government on Nov. 5 after President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday signed the Special Budget for Strengthening Economic, Social and National Security Resilience, the Executive Yuan told a news conference last night. The special budget, passed by the Legislative Yuan on Friday last week with a cash handout budget of NT$236 billion, was officially submitted to the Executive Yuan and the Presidential Office yesterday afternoon. People can register through the official Web site at https://10000.gov.tw to have the funds deposited into their bank accounts, withdraw the funds at automated teller
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