‘Gyudon’ chains’ beef strategies proved critical to ‘06 earnings (The Japan Times) The financial success of three restaurant chains offering "gyudon" beef-on-rice dishes in 2006 came down to how each responded to Japan's decision last summer to drop the ban on U.S. beef imports... Read more ... [News Source]

NMPF opposes opening Canadian border to breeding animals (AG Weekly) ARLINGTON, Va. - The National Milk Producers Federation, in comments submitted Friday (March 9) to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is opposing the resumption of cattle exports from Canada for breeding or herd replacement purposes. [News Source]

S. Korea, U.S. reach trade agreement, biggest for U.S. since NAFTA (AG Weekly) SEOUL, South Korea — The United States reached its biggest free trade agreement since NAFTA on Monday, clinching a last-minute deal with close security ally South Korea that it hopes will bolster bilateral ties and provide added spark to the Doha Round of global trade talks. [News Source]

Rare Brain Disease Could Be to Blame for Three Northeast Indiana Deaths (WANE-TV Fort Wayne) NewsChannel 15 has learned that three people in northeast Indiana may have died from an extremely rare brain disease. The Centers for Disease Control estimates your chance of getting it at one in a million. [News Source]

Japan Halts Import From US Meat Plant (AP via Yahoo! Finance) Japan suspended imports from a U.S. meat plant Friday after a shipment came without proper papers, officials said Friday. [News Source]

Japan suspends beef imports from U.S. meatpacking plant (Kyodo via Yahoo! Asia News) _ Japan on Friday slapped a temporary ban on beef imports from a U.S. meatpacking plant as recent shipments from the plant included meat that may have been taken from cattle aged more than 20 months in violation of a bilateral beef trade agreement, the agriculture and health ministries said. [News Source]

Japan suspends beef imports from U.S. meatpacking plant (Kyodo via Yahoo! Asia News) _ Japan on Friday slapped a temporary ban on beef imports from a U.S. meatpacking plant as recent shipments from the plant included meat that may have been taken from cattle aged more than 20 months in violation of a bilateral beef trade agreement, the agriculture and health ministries said. [News Source]

Rachel’s Blog (WDBJ 7 Roanoke) Wow! Things sure are blowing up in Blacksburg. In the short 3 and a half years I've lived here there has already been tremendous growth. But now there are at least a dozen proposals coming before council and countless other projects already under construction. [News Source]

Rachel’s Blog (WDBJ 7 Roanoke) Wow! Things sure are blowing up in Blacksburg. In the short 3 and a half years I've lived here there has already been tremendous growth. But now there are at least a dozen proposals coming before council and countless other projects already under construction. [News Source]

Japanese To Inspect Tyson Foods Beef Plants (The Morning News) Tyson Foods Inc. confirmed Friday that Japanese beef inspectors will be visiting all eight of the company's beef processing plants beginning May 21 -- including the facility recently snubbed by Tokyo. [News Source]