Pigs at the Minnesota state fair have tested positive for the H1N1 "swine" flu virus in preliminary tests.

Confirmation tests are pending, but this could be bad news and cause panic within the pork industry. Pork belly futures and companies like Smithfield Foods (NYSE: SFD), Tyson (NYSE: TSN), and Hormel (NYSE: HRL) are a few that could be affected.

Continue reading Swine flu hits pigs -- will pork panic follow?

Swine flu hits pigs -- will pork panic follow? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 18 Oct 2009 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Many South Koreans made their feelings clear on Saturday: the United States can keep its beef.

The AP reported that a month of protests culminated in a rally Saturday night in Seoul during which many thousands of South Koreans protested the government's decision to import U.S. beef after a it had been shut out for most of the past four and half years.

South Korea was formerly the third-largest overseas market for U.S. beef, until the first case of mad cow disease in the United States back in 2003.

After sensational media reports sparked fears of mad cow disease, protests of the April agreement to reopen markets to U.S. beef began in earnest. Students, labor union members, and office workers filled the plaza in front of city hall. Protesters lit candles, waved placards and chanted slogans criticizing President Lee Myung-bak, but rally was largely peaceful.

Protesters suggest that President Lee was too quick to concede to U.S. demands in order to win favor with Washington and garner support in Congress for ratification of a separate free trade agreement.

President Lee's office had no comment on the rally, but earlier. President Lee went on national television to apologize for not sufficiently consulting with the public on the beef issue.

South Koreans say no to U.S. beef originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 01 Jun 2008 10:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.