Number 498
April 18, 2003


A weekly update of news from the Japanese
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

Public Relations Office, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
Kasumigaseki 1-2-1,Chiyoda-ku,Tokyo 100-8950
Tel:81-3-3591-2874
Fax:81-3-3597-8722
E-mail:koho_kaigai@nm.maff.go.jp
Editor.Tsuyoshi Arai

Import Suspension of Poultry and Poultry Products from Belgium Lifted

1. The import of poultry and their products originating in Belgium was suspended on 14 March 2003 owing to an suspicion of an outbreak of fowl plague in this country.

2. On 27 March 2003, MAFF confirmed that the suspicion of fowl plague can be repealed, according to information received from the Belgium animal health authority. Accordingly, the same day, MAFF decided to lift the import suspension of poultry and poultry products from Belgium and informed the relevant authorities of this decision.

For further information, please contact the Animal Health Division of Agricultural Production Bureau at (03) 3502-8388.

Tariff Quotas for First Half of Fiscal 2003 and Full Term Released

On March 28, MAFF announced the following tariff quotas for the first half of fiscal 2003 and the full term, based on reports submitted by the Customs Tariff Council, which operates under the auspices of the Ministry of Finance.

(Tons)

Items

Full Term

First Half
Skimmed milk powder

・ for school lunches

7,264

-

・ for other purposes

74,973

-
Evaporated milk

1,500

-
Whey and modified whey

・ mineral and concentrated whey

14,000

-

・ whey and modified whey for feeding purposes

45,000

-

・ prepared whey for infant formula

25,000

-
Butter and butter oil

581

-
Cheese and curd for processed cheese

55,200

-
Other dairy products for general use

133,940

-
Dried leguminous vegetables

-

34,000
Corn

・ for corn starch

-

2,227,100

・ for feeding purposes(whole kernel corn)

-

137,300

・ for corn flakes, ethyl alcohol and distilled alcoholic beverages

-

38,300

・ for other purposes

-

96,400
Malt

-

340,600
Starches, inulin and starch preparations

-

85,200
Ground nuts

75,000

-
Konnyaku tubers

267

-
Molasses for alcohol

-

7,700
Cocoa preparations for chocolate

21,100

-
Tomato puree and tomato paste for tomato ketchup and other tomato sauces

36,500

-
Pineapple in airtight containers

50,900

-
Prepared edible fats

・ Produced in and imported from New Zealand

11,550

-

・ others

7,427

-
Silk worm cocoons suitable for reeling

1,995

-

For further information, please contact the International Trade Policy Coordination Division of the General Food Policy Bureau at (03) 3502-6909.

Meeting of the Subcommittee of the Council for JAS to be Held

MAFF will hold meetings of the Subcommittee of the Council for Japanese Agricultural Standards (JAS) on May 14, 2003, at Dai-2-Tokubetsu Meeting Room of the Ministry, the address of which appears above.

The meeting will consider the standards to be established JAS for

・Organic livestock products

・Organic livestock product processed foods.

Those who wish to listen to the discussion are asked to send a fax or a stamped, self-addressed postcard together with another postcard with the name, address, age, occupation and telephone number of the applicant written on it in Japanese. Applications by fax or mail must be received by 5 p.m. on May 7, 2003.

If the number of applicants who wish to attend exceeds the limit, attendees will be selected by ballot.

The meeting will be conducted in Japanese. Arrangements for interpretation are the responsibility of the attendee.

Attendees must follow the chairperson's instructions during the meeting. The use of cameras, video recorders, tape recorders, wireless microphones and other such devices is prohibited during the meeting. The meeting will begin at 2 p.m. Attendees are asked to be seated in the meeting room by 1:50 p.m.

.For further information, please contact the Standards and Labeling Division by telephone at (03) 3502-8111 (ext. 3127) or by fax at (03) 3501-0580.

STATISTICS

The following statistics are available from the Planning and Coordination Office of the Statistics and Information Department: Tel. (03) 3591-0758.

  1. Report on the Ｉntention Regarding Policy ｒeform of rice.
  2. Preliminary Statistical Report on the Marketing of Vegetables and Fruits, last 10 days of March 2003.
  3. Statistics on the Wholesale Marketing of Meat (Beef）, March 2003.
  4. Statistics on the Marketing of Flowers, February 2003.
  5. Statistics on the Marketing of Fishery Products in Consuming Areas, February 2003.
  6. Production and Shipment of Apples, 2002.
  7. Production and Shipment of Unshu Mandarins, 2002

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