Replies to post #37811 on Tornado Alley (PROG)

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(COMTEX) B: Panamanian Official Resigns, Citing U.S. ( AP Online )

PANAMA CITY, Panama, Jan 10, 2006 (AP Online via COMTEX) --
Panama's agricultural minister resigned Tuesday, accusing the
United States of pressuring the Central American country to accept
lower agricultural inspection standards.

Laurentino Cortizo's departure comes as the United States and
Panama negotiate in Washington on a bilateral free trade accord
that would remove tariffs and agricultural subsidies.

Cortizo accused the United States of pressuring Panama to allow
U.S. imports despite inadequate U.S. inspections that could expose
Panama to the "catastrophic consequences of plagues and
diseases."

"I have been fighting with my conscience ... and I decided to
resign to sound off some kind of alarm," Cortizo said in a news
conference Tuesday. "The agricultural health inspection is the
backbone of the agricultural industry and cannot be relaxed in this
way."

President Martin Torrijos replaced Cortizo with agricultural
negotiator Guillermo Salazar, who was already in Washington Tuesday
for the trade talks. A U.S. Trade Representative spokeswoman,
Christin Baker, said the talks would take place Tuesday through
Thursday.

Torrijos said he would never put Panama's agricultural industry
at risk.

"The differences of how to approach the application of sanitary
regulations in no way affects our friendship," Torrijos said at a
brief news conference. "My government would never compromise on
this ... much less on the health of the population."

Cortizo accused the United States of trying to impose its health
inspection measures on Panama, despite the fact that both countries
agreed in previous talks to follow World Trade Organization
standards.

"Panama should not, under any circumstance, set the precedent
of not applying our health inspection laws in force because another
country wants to sell its products," Cortizo said in his
resignation letter to Torrijos.

"I am enormously concerned that the relaxing of health
inspections puts at risk the health and life of Panamanians, the
agricultural heritage of our country and the loss of current and
potential business ties with other countries," Cortizo wrote.

Copyright 2006 Associated Press, All rights reserved

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[F6]

(COMTEX) B: Record heat killing cattle ( ABIX )

Jan 10, 2006 (The Australian - ABIX via COMTEX) --
Australia's record high temperatures are
affecting the nation's beef industry.
Throughout Queensland, temperatures have been
averaging above 40 degrees Celsius [104F] since
December 2005, and the six-week heat wave is
causing many cattle to die of heat stress.
The impact of the heat is affecting cattle
prices, with prices across Queensland, New
South Wales and Victoria falling 6% to
$A0.349 per kilogram since December.

Publication Date: 11 January 2006

QUILPIE SHIRE COUNCIL

All copyright subsisting under the Copyright Act 1968 (Commonwealth) resides
in us.

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