Japan suspends imports from US meat plant: farm ministry (AFP via Yahoo! Singapore News) Japan suspended beef imports Wednesday from a US meatpacking plant that shipped risky cuts in violation of a bilateral accord aimed at limiting the threat of mad cow disease. [News Source]

Japan halts beef imports from California plant (Reuters via Yahoo! Malaysia News) TOKYO, April 23 - Japan has suspended imports from a California plant of National Beef Packing Co after it found a box including a beef part it bans due to the risk of mad cow disease, a Ministry of Agriculture official said on Wednesday. [News Source]

Australian Cattle Prices to Rise in 2008, Bank Says (Update1) (Bloomberg.com) April 23 (Bloomberg) -- Cattle prices in Australia, the world's second-largest beef exporter , are expected to increase this year, driven by rancher and feedlot demand, National Australia Bank Ltd. said. [News Source]